Helping Harry
by HermioneEvelynPotter
Summary: When Lily Potter dies, she meets Death in the afterlife. She has a choice: move on with James, or help Harry with his destiny. She takes the second choice. Now a girl named Holly Evans will help Harry on his path to his destiny. However, unexpected complications and a Manipulative Old Man try to interfere with her plans. Adopted from Vance McGill.
1. Life After Death

**Warnings: Incest (sort of), Manipulative! Evil! Dumbledore, Ancient and Noble Houses, Lords and Ladies, Founder's Heirs, Wizengamot, Goblins and Gringotts, Severe Character Bashing – Dumbledore and some Weasleys.**  
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Ships:, Sirius/Amelia, Neville/Luna, Cedric/Susan and Remus/Nymphadora "Dora" Tonks**

 **Disclaimer:** J.K Rowling owns the characters and the world of Harry Potter. I do not. I just like to play in her sandbox. No copyright infringement intended.

 **Author's Notes: This is an AU story. If you dislike, Don't read for Oreos Sake!**

 **Before any of you report me for copying Vance Gill's story Lily's Next Great Adventure, I have been given the honor of Adopting it.**

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 **Chapter 1**  
 **Lily Meets Death**

Lily Potter gasped out a deep breath and coughed, trying to bring air back into her lungs. Breathing felt odd to her. She opened her eyes and was met by a blinding bright light. She instantly closed her eyes and shielded them with a hand. She then blinked her eyes, adjusting her sight to the light. She groaned and sat up, then looked around at her surroundings. She was sitting on the cement ground of what appeared to be Platform Nine-And-Three Quarters. Only it was empty and cleaner than what she was used to.

When she took in her own appearance, she found that she was stark naked! Embarrassed by her nudity, she wished for clothes. Suddenly, she was dressed in what appeared to be the sleeping gown she usually slept in. Having jumped over that hurdle, she began to wonder what was going on. She then remembered what had happened.

She and her husband James were about to sit down to dinner at their cottage in Godric's Hollow, after tucking her son Harry into his crib to sleep. She had come down the stairs to the first floor of the cottage, when James had screamed that _he_ was there, and to take Harry and run. She remembered running back to the nursery, then hearing noises and chaos on the bottom floor. The noise of battle. A battle between her husband, James, and Voldemort, the most powerful and feared Dark Wizard of the age. She then remembered Voldemort entering the nursery, and she stood guarding Harry, begging Voldemort to take her instead of her son. He had ordered her to stand aside, and she refused. And the last thing she remembered was a flash of green light.

 _Which means I'm dead,_ Lily thought to herself, _Which means I failed. I failed James. I failed my son._

 _'_ Wrong," a voice said behind Lily, "On both accounts. If... you make the right choice."

Lily gasped and hurried to her feet. By instinct she reached for her wand, but found it wasn't there. She looked for the owner of the voice, and found a figure sitting on a bench a few feet away from her. He was dressed in a black cloak and hood, and Lily could not make out any of his features.

"Who are you?" Lily demanded in her strongest voice; she was afraid of the figure, but she would not show such fear.

"I am Death," the figure said.

"Death?" Lily echoed, disbelieving.

"You have doubts, I can sense that," Death said, "But I assure you, I am Death."

"The same Death who met the three Peverell brothers by a river?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I see your husband has made you familiar of old family stories, has he?" Death asked.

Lily blushed. It had been a couple weeks after her wedding to James that he told her exactly what his invisibility cloak was. She was familiar with the Tale of the Three Brothers by Beedle The Bard, but she hadn't known about the Peverells until James had told her about them. It took her quite a bit of persuasion from James for her to believe such a story was real, but in the end, she believed it.

"Yes," Death said, obviously deciding the pink tinge in Lily's cheeks was her answer, "I am the very same. Your husband's ancestor and his brothers were quite the foes, especially James' own ancestor. Used a piece of my own cloak to evade me -"

"But in the end, you met as equals," Lily said, recalling the tale.

"So the story says," Death said, "I admit, I gained a bit of respect for the man. If I hadn't, I certainly would not have let his son or your husband's bloodline keep my cloak. But no one will ever equal me, and there is certainly nobody who can become my Master, even if they unite my gifts."

"So," Lily said, "I assume I am here to go onto the next great adventure. I am here at the train station. So, what? Do I take a train into a dark tunnel and come out on the other side to whatever greets me?"

"That... is one possibility," Death said.

"I have more than one option?" Lily asked, "I'm dead, aren't I? I assume moving on is what happens after death."

"That is what happens to the majority, true," Death said, "However, do you believe everyone who passes on gets to meet me? Not! Do you know how many people die each day? I am much too busy to meet thousands of lost souls every single day of my existence!"

"So... what, am I special or something?" Lily asked, with a snort.

"Or something," Death said. "Let's just say, you're not exactly 'special', but your son is."

"Harry?" Lily asked; this brought her back to the reality of what had happened, "I couldn't protect my son. I just let that... that monster kill me and..."

"And in doing so, you protected your son," Death said, "Fear not, Lily Potter, Harry survived that night."

Lily's eyes brightened as she looked at Death. "How?"

"Your sacrifice," Death said, "You standing there, defying that monster, demanding he take you instead of your son – that love you shown for your son protected him. Voldemort could not touch him. He tried to kill your son with the Killing Curse, but it rebounded on Voldemort."

"Voldemort is dead?" Lily asked.

"No," Death snarled, "He has evaded me."

"How?" Lily asked.

"Have you ever heard of the term Horcruxes?" Death asked.

Lily gasped; she had researched many things in her life. Light subjects, Grey subjects, and yes, she dabbled in the research of some Dark subjects. The subject of Horcruxes was the Darkest.

"So you have," Death said, "Yes, Voldemort has made Horcruxes. He has seven, including himself, and will in the future make one more. His latest, however, was unintentional."

Lily's quick mind came to the same conclusion Death was supplying.

"No!" Lily growled, "It can't be true!"

"It is," Death said, "Your son has a shard of Voldemort's soul resting inside him."

"Can it be taken out?" Lily asked.

"It can," Death said, "However, most wand-wielders who know of such subjects, one wizard in particular who knows about Horcruxes, would believe that your son must die for the Horcrux to be destroyed."

"No!" Lily growled again.

"Calm yourself, Lily Potter," Death said, "I say that wand-wielders believe this to be true. However, other magic users have their own ways of ridding objects, or living beings of Horcruxes. But their own existence is looked down upon by wand-wielders that not even the smartest of wizards would ask them."

"Goblins?" Lily asked.

"Indeed," Death said. "If someone were to take Harry to a Goblin Healer, the Horcrux would be transferred to an object, and then destroyed. However, as I said -"

"Not many wizards would think of such an option," Lily said, with a frown, "Is there any way to do so? Someone needs to know so Harry can get rid of it!"

"Yes," Death said.

Lily's eyes brightened. She did not expect that answer. "How?"

"To even begin answering that question, we must backtrack in our conversation," Death said. "Why am I, Death, meeting you here instead of compelling you to walk onto a train? Because, Lily Potter, I am going to give you a choice of two options."

Lily was about to ask what the two options were when she heard the squealing sound of metal. She looked over her shoulder and saw a long black train approaching. Soon, accompanied by a squeal of breaks, the train stopped along the platform.

"Choice one," Death said, "You could walk onto that train and be reunited with your husband."

Lily's eyes widened as she saw, through one of the train's windows, her husband James Potter. He was staring ahead, not looking anywhere except forward. If he looked out the window, he would have seen her. She motioned to call for him, to walk toward the train, when Death raised a cloaked arm.

"Don't be so hasty Lily Potter," Death said, "I assure you, the second choice is just as _tasty_ as the first."

"What option could be better than reuniting with my husband?" Lily asked.

"Why, reuniting with your son, of course," Death said.

Lily, who had been staring at her husband, now jerked her head back to Death.

"What?" she asked. "You just said my son isn't dead. Is this some sick plot to kill my son?"

Death chuckled. "No, my dear, quite the opposite. You see, instead of stepping onto the train, meeting your husband, and moving on, you could choose to walk back through the portal."

"And where would I go?" Lily asked.

"Why, back to the land of the living, of course," Death said.

Lily gaped in disbelief. "I would live again? You, Death, would permit me to live instead of claiming another soul, another passenger for your train? Why?"

"Voldemort, or as he is really known, Tom Marvolo Riddle, has been alluding me for many years," Death said, "He should have died the night he killed you, if it wasn't for those blasted Horcruxes. Oh, yes, Voldemort will die... eventually. But he would make life a living hell for your son, Harry's future friends, and many others. I can see how your mind is working. If I didn't give you a choice, sure, there would be more souls for my train. However, Riddle is my greatest enemy. The Horcruxes are an abomination! I want them destroyed soon! Sooner rather than later! I want Riddle destroyed! Unfortunately..."

"Unfortunately what?" Lily asked.

"Unfortunately," Death said, "It is your son who is prophesized to defeat Riddle. And right now, there are certain individuals who are trying to not make that happen. Oh, they want Riddle dead. But they also want your son dead, in order to give themselves and others a more... fruitful life."

"Are you telling me they want to use my son for their own gains?" Lily asked.

"Yes," Death said, "Exactly so."

"Who?" Lily growled. "Who is doing this?"

Death's hood jerked toward Lily and he stared at her. "Are you sure you want to hear this? If I tell you this, and other things, you may not believe me. It may seem impossible to you, but it is the truth. I am not trying to manipulate you. I have my own gains, but I assure you, my most important gain is to see Riddle and those who serve him dead."

"Who is it?" Lily hissed.

"Albus Dumbledore," Death said.

Lily flinched. Albus Dumbledore was the headmaster of Hogwarts, the school she had learned about magic, the place that had changed her life. Dumbledore was like a mentor to her.

"See?" Death said, "You are already doubting me."

"What has he done?" Lily asked, "What will he do?"

"Dumbledore told you and James about the prophecy regarding your son, did he not?" Death asked.

"He told me and James what the prophecy said," Lily said; then she realized something. "If he wanted to manipulate my son, why would he tell me and James the prophecy? Unless..."

"Unless he knew you and your husband would not be around to tell your son," Death said. "You would not be around to prepare your son for his destiny how you see fit. You doubt me again. Alright. Your Secret Keeper..."

"Peter Pettigrew," Lily said.

"Ah, but he was not your first choice, was he?" Death said.

"James and I wanted Sirius Black as our Secret Keeper," Lily said, "But Sirius said it would be too obvious. He said if he was tortured, he would accidentally give away the Secret too easily. I had my doubts about that, however. Sirius is a strong individual. Definitely more strong-willed than Peter Pettigrew."

"I completely agree," Death said. "Out of everyone you could have picked to be Secret Keeper, how did Pettigrew get chosen?"

"There weren't very many people we trusted," Lily said.

"Remus Lupin?" Death asked.

"Yes, but he's a werewolf," Lily said.

"And as such, he has quite a strong will and a strong mind," Death said, "His mind is naturally protected against Legilimens, even as strong as Voldemort. The first thing out of your lips when I mentioned Lupin was 'he is a werewolf'. Funny, Lily... you and James never cared that Remus is a werewolf. Who planted that seed of doubt back in your mind, I wonder?"

Lily thought back. It had been several months beforehand, when there was rumors of betrayal in the Order of the Phoenix, in which she and James were a part of. There were discussions of whom the betrayer could be. Including one particular discussion with...

Lily's eyes widened in horror. "Pettigrew."

"Pettigrew, yes," Death said, "Peter Pettigrew, supposedly a good friend of Remus Lupin rumor-mongering about how the man was probably a traitor because he was a _werewolf._ I bet he even said something about how Voldemort was recruiting werewolves. Thus, he planted those seeds in your mind. As such, the evening Sirius said he couldn't be your Secret Keeper, who should he suggest as the Secret Keeper, but Peter Pettigrew. Sirius didn't know of his mistake of course. He was being manipulated by Pettigrew, though Pettigrew was being guided from someone else."

The pieces were beginning to click in Lily's mind. "Pettigrew was told to plant seeds of doubt in the Order. In doing so, he made us look elsewhere, when all that time we were talking to the betrayer. Pettigrew himself."

"Very good," Death said. "I am sure you remember that Pettigrew was the only one of your close friends who was not there the evening Harry was born? In truth, that very same evening, he was being Marked by Voldemort."

"A Death Eater," Lily said, "All that time..."

"Yes," Death said, "But here is where it gets worse. Did you know that in the Order, there is a Master Legilimens? I am sure if you thought about it, you could know exactly who it is."

"Dumbledore," Lily said.

"Yes," Death said, "A very strong one. He could read the minds of nearly everyone in the Order. I say... nearly everyone. He could not read Alastor Moody's whose paranoia is his own tool of Occlumency. Also he could not read..."

"Remus' mind," Lily said.

"Exactly," Death said, "I see you coming to the conclusion..."

"Dumbledore knew who the traitor was in the Order," Lily said, "Pettigrew wouldn't know Occlumency. So... he needed Pettigrew to get close to us. Dumbledore couldn't read Remus' mind, so he wanted us to turn on our friend."

"He didn't want there to be a chance that Remus would be your Keeper," Death said.

"Why?" Lily asked, "Why did Dumbledore do this?"

"A few months before Harry was born," Death said, "The prophecy you know was told by Sybil Trelawney to Albus Dumbledore. However, it was also told to one other individual. They only heard the first couple of lines – that the prophesized vanquisher of the Dark Lord would be born at the end of July. The owner of the bar found the man eavesdropping. Tell me, Lily, who owns the Hog's Head?"

"Aberforth Dumbledore," Lily said, "Albus' brother."

"So, of course, Ab would tell Albus who was eavesdropping," Death said.

"Who was it?" Lily asked.

"Are you sure you wish to know?" Death asked, "It was another person who you were close to at one point."

Lily nodded, though from his clue she knew who it might be.

"Severus Snape," Death said.

Lily felt a pang in her heart. Severus was her friend at one point in time. In fact, he was her first friend in the wizarding world. He had, in fact, introduced her to the wizarding world, and told her what she really was. Then at the end of their fifth year at Hogwarts, that friendship was destroyed with a single word.

"As you know, Snape was a Death Eater," Death said, then grumbled something that sounded like 'that blasted name' before continuing, "So who do you think he took those first two lines of the Prophecy to?"

"Voldemort," Lily said, her voice quivering with emotion.

"Now don't be too hard on Severus," Death said, "When he told Voldemort of the prophecy, he had no idea who it was referring to. However, a few months later, Harry was born, one day after Neville Longbottom. Voldemort had two targets, and he chose your son. Can you imagine Snape's reaction when he heard that Voldemort was targeting your son? He was not worried about your son, or your husband. He was worried about _you._ "

Lily frowned. She knew Severus had feelings for her, feelings beyond friendship. She could see the jealous look in his eyes when she started to secretly fancy James Potter even two before she and James would become a couple. Oh, she would deny such a fancy, she didn't want to be involved with him until his head swelled back down to a manageable size. But she could see that Severus was jealous.

"In his terror and fear for your life," Death said, "Snape met up with Dumbledore, and told him how Voldemort knew the Prophecy. Dumbledore knew this of course. He knew Snape had overheard the prophecy. So... what does Dumbledore do? He offers sanctuary for Snape, but only if Snape becomes his spy."

Lily grimaced.. The pieces were all beginning to fit into place. "With Dumbledore's use of Legilimency, and Snape giving him information about Voldemort and his Death Eaters..."

"How could he not know Pettigrew was the traitor," Death said, "Indeed. And yet... Dumbledore was the one who conducted the Secret Keeper ceremony. Sirius was there that night, wasn't he? When Pettigrew became the Secret Keeper?"

"Yes," Lily said, "He was part of the Secret, but not the Keeper."

"Therefore, he knew who the Secret Keeper was," Death said, "Of course, this played right into Dumbledore's hand. The very same night Pettigrew became the Secret Keeper, he went to Voldemort to tell him his mission was complete. Voldemort now knew the Secret. Now, before we get into the deeper plot, there is one more piece Dumbledore played in order to seal his plan. James knew his life was in danger, did he not? He hoped that you and Harry would survive Voldemort's wrath. He thought that if he died, you would be there to raise Harry."

"Yes," Lily said, "He told me that. And the next day, he made his Last Will and Testament."

"And you also made yours," Death said; Lily nodded, "And who was there as witness, may I ask?"

Lily frowned. "Albus Dumbledore."

"And when did you write the Wills?" Death asked, "Before or after the Secret Keeper business?"

"Before," Lily said.

"So," Death said, "Dumbledore knew that Sirius, as godfather, would get to raise Harry in the event of yours and James deaths. He also knew that there was more than one possible guardian: Sirius, the Longbottoms, Xenophilius and Pandora Lovegood, Amelia Bones, Minerva McGonagall. But there was one name who was _never_ supposed to be guardian."

"My sister," Lily growled. "She hates magic. She hated me. If she was allowed to raise Harry, she would try to stamp the magic out of him."

"Did you tell Dumbledore about your sister?" Death asked.

Lily nodded. She had to explain why Petunia should never have custody. Then she realized...

 _No, he wouldn't!_

"Indeed," Death said, and Lily noticed for the first time that there was emotion in Death's voice. "You see where this is going, don't you? So... here's the pieces to the puzzle. Dumbledore knows Pettigrew is the Secret Keeper, he knows the contents of yours and James' wills. He knew that Sirius knew who was the Keeper. He knows Peter is the traitor, and that Voldemort knew part of the prophecy. All of this lead to that Halloween night. Now, there is one particular bit of spice that was unexpected, but nonetheless, important. What did Voldemort ask of you when he confronted you?"

"He told me to stand aside," Lily said, "As if he wanted to spare me. But why?"

"Severus Snape," Death said, "He begged Voldemort to spare your life. Snape hoped that with James and your son dead, you would be seeking a shoulder to cry on. He visited your house in Godric's Hollow that evening. He hoped to find you alive, looking for a friend -"

"Bastard!" Lily growled.

"Oh, come now, Lily," Death said, "Yes, he was quite the bastard before that evening. But the moment he walked into that nursery, and found your body, he knew Voldemort had betrayed him. He would seek to end Voldemort's existence, and in that very fact, he remained a spy with Dumbledore. Of course Dumbledore would use that. It would just give him more pieces in his game. Now...here is the scenario we're up against Lily. Imagine Sirius Black went to your house the night you and James were murdered. There he found Harry alive, however, he was not the first to get there. Hagrid, on Dumbledore's orders was there to retrieve Harry."

"But Sirius is Harry's godfather," Lily said, "Sirius would raise him."

"And Dumbledore knew that, remember?" Death said, "However, Hagrid trusts Dumbledore. He looks up to the Headmaster. How could he not? He was given a job and a home at Hogwarts after he was expelled many years ago. Dumbledore gave Hagrid a reason to trust him. Dumbledore gave him a job that night. He was supposed to take Harry away from the house, and into the arms of Dumbledore. He wouldn't listen to Sirius, even when Sirius said he was Harry's godfather and rightful guardian. Hagrid tells Sirius he must speak to Dumbledore. Hagrid leaves, and Sirius is standing there, stewing in his pain. His best friends are dead, his godson has been taken away. His life is falling to pieces. Who does he blame? He realizes Peter Pettigrew is responsible for this, he was your Secret Keeper."

"Oh, poor Sirius," Lily said, with a frown. "Poor, stupid Sirius!"

"Yes, poor stupid Sirius," Death said, "The stupid young man went looking for Pettigrew, in order to blame him, punish him for what he did. But Sirius is emotional. And his emotions betray him. He is not thinking straight. He finds Pettigrew, but Pettigrew is expecting Sirius to come. So he does the only thing he can in order to escape. He screams out to a crowd of people, blaming Sirius for betraying you and James. Then he blows up a sewer pipe, blowing up the street. Pettigrew cuts off his finger, and transformed into his rat form, and escaped. Now, look at this picture. Sirius is standing there, shocked beyond belief. Twelve Muggles are dead from Pettigrew's explosion, and on the ground, is Pettigrew's finger. Aurors come to the scene and find all of this happening. What do they do?"

"They arrest him," Lily said, "In order to find out what happened. But he would have told them, wouldn't he? Sirius knows to demand Veritaserum at a trial-"

"Ah, yes," Death said, "But who is the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot?"

"Dumbledore," Lily hissed.

"Picture it, Lily," Death said, "The Ministry finds out Voldemort is gone. 'He's finally gone, hurray, the war is over. We can move on!' All the Ministry wanted to do was move on. So they did. They had someone to arrest in order to show they were doing something. Minister Bagnold, Barty Crouch – the head of the DMLE, and Albus Dumbledore, the Chief Warlock – they just want their scapegoat in order to give the public a sign that the war was over. So, they arrest Sirius and throw him in Azkaban without a trial."

"No!" Lily cried, "Why?!"

"Because Dumbledore wanted it that way," Death said, "A free Sirius would get word out that Pettigrew was the Keeper. If that was discovered, Sirius would be free to raise Harry. But with him imprisoned, everyone would think he was the betrayer, and..."

"Nobody would believe a word he says," Lily said, with a frown.

"Precisely," Death said, "Now, as Chief Warlock, Dumbledore had the power to do many things. He persuaded the Minister of Magic to block the viewing of yours and James' Will, until Harry is eleven years old, thus allowing him of able body and mind to take what is rightfully his. Bagnold allowed it, and signed a form making it official. Then Dumbledore Obliviates her after he has the signature. He takes the Will to the right department, and puts it away, without anyone knowing."

"The goblins have a copy of the Will," Lily said.

"Aye, they do," Death said, "But they do not care much for the affairs of wizards. They are informed through magic, that the Will is closed unless Harry allows it to open, then stores it away at that time. And this is where Dumbledore continues to play his game. Remember, Lily, Dumbledore is the only witness to your Wills. He knows what you wanted. And in so doing, he could make a fantasy out of your Wills. Whatever he said, it must be true, right? He is the so-called Leader of the Light, everyone looks up to him! And so... when the Magical Child Services department gets word from Dumbledore of Harry's new residence and guardian, they believe him, and fill out the forms. Dumbledore through those fantasy Wills he made up orders two things. He becomes Harry's magical guardian, while the official guardian is... Petunia and Vernon Dursley."

"No!" Lily cried, as she fell to her knees. "Why?"

"Dumbledore needs a weapon to defeat Voldemort, Lily," Death said, "But he doesn't need a hero, he needs a sacrifice. Imagine this, the final battle between Light and Dark. Dumbledore believes Harry must die because of the Horcrux in his head. So, Dumbledore guides Harry to battle Voldemort. Never knowing about the Horcrux in his own head, Harry battles Voldemort. Why? Because he believes he is the only one who can defeat Voldemort. He is doing so for his friends who he couldn't bear to see die because of him. But he doesn't know Voldemort can't die until his Horcruxes are destroyed. So... Voldemort ends up killing Harry, and with the last Horcrux destroyed, Dumbledore goes on to kill Voldemort. Dumbledore weeps crocodile tears over Harry's body, a cameraman takes the picture of their fallen hero being mourned by their Leader of the Light, and everyone believes the Manipulative Old Man is their hero. But in the end he is doing it for the Greater Good. Pureblood Supremacy. He wants the wizarding world to go on as it always has. Muggles and Muggleborn being the lowest form, along with Werewolves, Centaurs, Veela and the like, while the Purebloods continue to go on as they always have, but without the threat of Voldemort. Dumbledore, being the new hero, can pass any law he allows, giving him the freedom to do what he wants. Nobody would realize their Leader of the Light is a Dark Lord."

"But," Lily said, hoarsely, "This hasn't happened yet. It might not happen."

"No," Death said, "It might not happen. Not if someone helps Harry. You, Lily. However, there is a price. It isn't a big price. Some of it you will not like. But with your guidance, you can help Harry."

"I'll do it, whatever the price," Lily said, her voice still hoarse, but getting stronger, "I choose Harry."

"You are sure?" Death said.

"Yes," Lily said.

"Very well," Death said; he waved his cloaked arm toward the train, and it began to move.

"Wait!" Lily said, "Can't I even say goodbye to James?"

"He knows," Death said, "He knows your choice, and he is proud of you for it. He knew all along you would chose it. He only asks you to follow your heart wherever it will go."

"I can't love anyone else," Lily said, "My heart is only big enough for James and Harry."

"He knows," Death said, "And still gives you the same message."

 _I love you, James. I always will,_ Lily thought silently. She then stood and stared at Death. "Tell me what happens now. What is this price?"

"Part of Dumbledore's plan must happen for things to work," Death said, "I know it is hard to hear, but it has to happen. He is right about one thing, after all. If Harry lived in the wizarding world all his life, if he was raised in the wizarding world, where he was a hero, and looked upon like a hero, his attitude, his personality, it would only betray him in the end and possibly lead him into Darkness. Petunia and Vernon's abuse toward Harry -"

"Abuse!" Lily growled.

"Yes," Death said, "They do mistreat him. He does not have a happy childhood. But due to such a childhood, he becomes stronger, Lily. He will choose to stand up for his friends, he will choose to fight the bullies. He will gain a sense of adventure, wishing to give himself a better life. Unfortunately, it does affect him. He isn't exactly the most physical of specimens, and while he is as smart as you are Lily, he chooses not to show it. As a student, if Harry got better grades than Dudley, he would be punished for it."

"But that is what Dumbledore wants!" Lily growled, "That is the recipe for his sacrifice, isn't it?!"

"There are a few more ingredients Dumbledore has to put into the pot," Death said, "But this is where you come in, Lily. You will be there to help Harry remove such ingredients, therefore changing the recipe."

"Of course," Lily said, "as a mother should."

"Ah, but that is where it gets complicated, Lily," Death said, "Yes, you could tell him you are his mother. But he might find that hard to believe."

"Why?" Lily asked.

"Simple," Death said, "On the day I allow you to return to the land of the living, you will be the same age as Harry."

"He will be in his early twenties?" Lily asked, "How am I supposed to help him when he has gone through a childhood and his teens, through his education, raised to believe all this?"

"You misunderstand me, Lily," Death said, "When you return, you will be the same as Harry: eleven years old."

Lily blinked. She didn't hear that correctly... did she? " _What?_ "

"Lily, the world believes you are dead," Death said, "People saw your body, _Dumbledore_ saw your body. _Snape_ saw your body. If you returned like you are, there would be questions. If you are the same age as Harry, you will get to be his friend, helping him in school, and helping him on his path to his destiny the right way. You will be able to guide him. You will have all your knowledge. I assume James taught you about the Ancient and Noble Houses and such. Lords and Ladies?"

"Sort of," Lily said, shrugging, "Not a lot. Why?"

"Harry will be Lord Potter," Death said, "He will be the head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, in essence a powerful individual in the wizarding world. There are other titles I won't reveal yet, but you will know about it soon – if you take him to Gringotts when you meet him, make sure he claims his inheritance. It will effectively emancipate him – the Dursleys nor Dumbledore will be his guardians, and he will get ownership of Potter Manor in Northampton. The house is pretty much fine. The wards are good, one of the house-elves there still lives. Once Harry steps foot on the land as the Head of the Potters, the house will be rightfully his."

"But... what about me?" Lily asked.

"I will give you a new identity," Death said, "You will be Holly Evans. Everyone, except those few who you tell your identity, will believe you are Lily Potter's niece – her father will be Lily and Petunia's long-lost brother. Fictional brother, but only those in the know will know such a brother doesn't exist. Harold Evans is a Muggle, but his daughter, Holly is a Muggleborn. An orphan, of course – her parents don't exist, so of course the world must believe they are dead. So you would be Harry's cousin instead of his mother. Dumbledore would not make the connection – if he did, Holly would not have been welcome into Hogwarts. In fact, he would probably get rid of her."

Lily snorted. She knew Dumbledore would find her relationship to Harry – well, her fictional one – soon enough, but not before she could destroy some of his pieces on his side of the chessboard.

"You're a smart Muggleborn, of course, very studious, curious about the wizarding world," Death continued, "So it wouldn't be too big of a surprise that you know stuff about the wizarding world's customs, and such. Holly Evans will have no want for money, believe me. But I will leave that surprise waiting at Gringotts. If not a motherly figure, you would still be a good friend who would help him and guide him on his path. And believe me, he will need your friendship. If he remains a friendless boy until September 1st, 1991, he will meet and befriend three people who are spies of Dumbledore only wanting to use Harry."

"Who?" Lily asked.

"Molly Weasley, her youngest son, Ron, and her daughter, Ginny," Death said. "Dumbledore and Molly put together a betrothal contract, between Harry and Ginny, a few days after that Halloween."

"A betrothal contract?!" Lily growled, "How dare they?!"

"Lily, the contract isn't official," Death said, "Dumbledore isn't Harry's rightful magical guardian. Sirius Black is. Emancipate Harry, and he can cancel the contract."

"Oh, right," Lily said, "Easy enough."

"Yes," Death said, "Ginny has been raised, believing she is destined to be Mrs. Harry Potter. Oh, she is still an innocent little girl. She can be persuaded to see the light, if guided away from that hag of a mother. It will be hard. She will see Harry as the Boy-Who-Lived, and not as a boy who grew up in an abusive home with no knowledge of magic. Ginny isn't much of a threat if you can get her out from under her mother's thumb. Don't blame the daughter for the sins of the mother. She may be useful to you."

Lily sighed and nodded. She could see Death's point.

"However, then there is her brother Ron," Death continued, "He is the youngest boy of six boys. His five brothers are all either smarter, better-looking, funnier, or more adventurous than him. He is easily jealous because of it. He believes someone owes him something for the life he has been dealt. So instead of doing something about it, he expects others to do it for him. Imagine, Lily, what would happen if Albus Dumbledore asked a boy like that to befriend Harry, if only to spy on Harry for him? Especially if such a boy gets paid for it."

"He would try to latch himself onto Harry," Lily said, "He would try to use Harry's fame and popularity of being the one who, as everyone believes, rid the world of Voldemort, and steal a place in the spotlight."

"Indeed," Death said, "Even if Harry doesn't want that spotlight, Ron would probably try to encourage him to use it. Ron is not a smart boy. He loves chess and Quidditch. He gorges himself on food. He does not like homework. As I said, he also becomes jealous easily. If someone else were to become Harry's friend, become someone more important in his life than him, Ron would _hate_ that. Can you see why Dumbledore would want someone like him to befriend Harry?"

"He would force Harry to his level," Lily said. "You said Ron hates homework. Harry, growing up believing he shouldn't be smarter than his dumb cousin, would believe he shouldn't let himself be smarter than Ron..."

"Yes!" Death said, "And a friendless boy like Harry – he would do anything to keep his friend happy."

"Right," Lily said, "So make sure Harry avoids Ron."

"Oh, you probably won't be able to avoid the boy," Death said, "He will try to insert him in your group. All you will need to do is outsmart him. Quite easy."

"My group?" Lily asked, "Who besides Harry?"

"There are other students who will be good friends to you and Harry," Death said, "I will name a few, though there are more. Don't just resort to finding friends in one house at Hogwarts. In all four houses, you will find friends. Some of whom will be good political allies, even if their family is neutral. In doing so, you might just reunite the houses like they were meant to be."

"Even Slytherin?" Lily asked.

"The Slytherins will be a challenge," Death said, "But there are diamonds there, you just have to find them. Now, as for my suggested names. There is one in particular. Hermione Granger. Look for her at the train station on September 1st. She is a Muggleborn like you. Very smart. The kind of girl you might like to see as a daughter-in-law one day."

Lily smiled.

"There are others as well," Death said, "I believe you knew Amelia Bones and Pandora Lovegood in school?"

"Yes," Lily said, "Pandora was a good friend of mine. Amelia and I were friends, though she was closer to Sirius. They dated at one point. It had been quite serious, pardon the pun."

"Amelia's niece, Susan, could be a good friend," Death said, "And you can use the Bones alliance in the political aspect. Unfortunately Pandora died when her daughter was nine years old. Ever since then, Luna has shut herself down. I am afraid she could easily become the target of bullies because she believes in imaginary creatures."

Lily sniffled, blinking tears from her eyes. She vowed to befriend Luna in memory of her mother.

"And then there is Frank and Alice Longbottom's son Neville," Death said.

"He was born the day before Harry," Lily said, "I am Neville's godmother, just as Alice is Harry's."

"Frank and Alice unfortunately suffered a horrible fate at the hands of Death Eaters," Death said, "They were tortured with the Cruciatus Curse, tortured into insanity."

"Oh, gods," Lily muttered.

"Neville was raised by his grandmother," Death said, "Are you familiar with Augusta Longbottom nee Croaker?"

"Unfortunately yes," Lily said, "She is a demanding, strong-willed woman. Unfortunately she is also quite the pureblood. She doesn't believe in the Supremacy aspect of it, but she believes in the power of it."

"And if she thought Neville was a squib?" Death asked, "He isn't but because of things that happened when he was a baby, he didn't show much magic as a child."

"She would look down on him instead of encourage him," Lily said, "He is supposed to be the next Head of House, and if, as she thought, he was a squib, he couldn't become the Head."

"Neville isn't a squib," Death said, "However, I wouldn't be too hard on Augusta, she could be a powerful political ally. Besides, she too is being manipulated by Dumbledore, as is Neville. Because he was seen as the other boy in the prophecy, Dumbledore manipulated young Neville too. He bound Neville's magical core down to fifteen percent. Unfortunately... he also did the same to Harry."

Lily growled. Of course, Dumbledore wouldn't want the boys of the prophecy to be too strong. He couldn't allow such power.

"Fortunately the goblins can unbind their magical cores safely," Death said, " hose two boys will be powerful wizards Lily. They will need guidance. In doing so, they will be strong allies, magically and politically. Also, Augusta will be giving Neville his father's wand. It will not work right for Neville. Without his own wand, he will be seen as weak. Again, this is nothing to do with Dumbledore, Augusta only believes Neville will amount to nothing so she doesn't encourage him."

"I will make sure he is trained right," Lily vowed.

"Good," Death said, "Unfortunately, it gets worse with Dumbledore and the Weasleys, Lily. Dumbledore has been stealing money from the Potter Vault."

"Bastard!" Lily growled.

"Oh, don't worry," Death said, "Harry can get it all back. Make sure Harry asks for an audit. Dumbledore's been taking money for himself and the Order of the Phoenix. Also he gave money to the Weasleys. It is that money which paid for the Weasley children to get into Hogwarts. Also, Dumbledore paid the Dursleys money every year on Harry's birthday. They had all kinds of money but never spent it on Harry."

"Wait a moment," Lily said, "You said two maybe three of the Weasleys will use Harry. But what about Arthur, and the other boys?"

"All innocent," Death said. "Well, mostly innocent. They never asked where the money came from. Dumbledore just told them they got an inheritance from a fictional dead Aunt of Molly's. Of course, the Weasleys were infamous for being poor, so Molly couldn't flash the money around. A good percentage of it sits in Molly's private vault. Molly was feeding Arthur love and loyalty potions. Flush him of the potions, and watch the fun happen."

"I will make sure she pays right along with Dumbledore," Lily growled.

"However," Death said, "I do see what you are thinking. If you do this, you will in effect punish the innocent Weasleys. Do you want to do that?"

"This is another case of 'sins of the mother', isn't it?" Lily asked, "I will come up with something. What else do I need to know?"

"Oh, I can't tell you everything just yet," Death said, "Where would the fun be in that? Part of the price is that I get to watch you on your path with Harry. I will give you a few more clues and hints right now, but others will fall into place. On Harry's birthday each year, I will give you, and in essence him, a gift. I will give you clues as to what is going to happen in the upcoming year. They will be a little cryptic. But you are smart."

"Can't make this too easy, can you?" Lily muttered.

"Of course not!" Death said, "Earlier I may have said I lead a busy existence, but sometimes it is boring! I need entertainment. Okay, so here is more you need to know. Sirius Black is still in Azkaban. Free him sooner than later, and you and Harry will have some trusting adults in your life. Both you and Harry will be emancipated after a visit to Gringotts, but people like Dumbledore will still try to stop such things, especially without an adult present."

"But I can't just tell the Ministry that Sirius wasn't the Secret Keeper," Lily said, "I have no real proof. Not unless I tell everyone I am Lily Potter."

"True," Death said. "My only hint is this: where there's a will, there's a way."

Lily nodded. _Something to do with the Wills. What have I forgotten about them? There's something else here..._

"What about Wormtail?" Lily asked.

"I will only tell you that he is closer than you think," Death said.

Lily frowned. _Great, more hints with little answers. Something tells me this will be the norm._

"When you free Sirius," Death continued, "I will lead you to a Horcrux, but you must free Sirius or it is useless. However, I will tell you about the other Horcruxes now. Well, those you can nab whenever you want. One, however, won't show up until your second year at Hogwarts."

"And the others?" Lily asked.

"One is in Gringotts," Death said, "Hufflepuff's Cup, look for the badger on it. Once the Goblins remove the Horcrux in Harry, tell the goblins you believe that another one is in Gringotts, in one of the vaults owned by one of Riddle's followers, and they will destroy it. They will probably make you and Harry 'Friends of the Goblin Nation' for doing so. Embrace that title. The ring Horcrux will be the most dangerous to retrieve, but Goblins and their Curse Breakers will be able to get it. It is in the Gaunt house in Little Hangleton. The other easy one is in the Room of Requirement in Hogwarts. Voldemort will make one more, but not until later. I will clue you in when that happens."

Death instructed Lily how to get into the Room of Requirement and where the Horcrux was.

"Since you will be arriving on Harry's eleventh birthday, I will give you more clues after you meet Harry and take care of the Gringotts stuff. Just wait for my letter. When you return to the land of the living, you will wake up in a vacant room in the Leaky Cauldron. Your Hogwarts letter and school list will be waiting for you. Go downstairs and wait for Harry. He will be coming into the bar with Hagrid. Now half-giants are spell-resistant. But hit him with a wandless Confundus. It will work. Hagrid will believe he is also to meet you for shopping. That will give you the opportunity to befriend Harry. Once you get to Gringotts, Confound Hagrid again, and make him fear riding on the Gringotts carts. Hagrid will give Harry his vault key, and there you go. Ask for the Goblin, Ragnok, who will be your Vault Keeper – coincidentally, he is also Harry's Vault Keeper. And then let things play out."

Lily nodded, understanding what she must do.

"Once emancipated," Death said, "break away from Hagrid, go shopping – believe me, Harry will need it – and go to Potter Manor. Someone will be waiting for you."

"Missy?" Lily asked, referring to the Potter Family house-elf.

"Her daughter, Melina," Death said, "Missy died when Harry was seven."

Lily frowned, saddened by the loss, but also knew who Melina was. The young elf was just a baby when Harry was born.

"Lily," Death said, "There are two... beings... who will recognize you when you tell them who you are. I will allow this. They are Charlus and Dorea's portraits at Potter Manor."

"James' parents," Lily said.

"They will help you guide Harry," Death said, "While you know much of the wizarding world's customs, you don't know it all. Harry's grandfather will help him become Lord Potter. You will no longer be Lady Potter, of course, but you will have a title."

"What title?" Lily asked.

"It is a surprise," Death said, "You'll know by the time you leave Gringott's."

"More entertainment, huh?" Lily grumbled.

"Yes," Death said. "Also while you are at Potter Manor, that may be the best time to reveal the truth to Harry. By then, he will probably be more than curious about some of the stuff you will be helping him with during the day, and how you knew everything. He is very smart, remember that. He just doesn't show it."

Lily nodded. However, that was the part she was dreading. She knew Harry probably wished for his parents during his hell on earth with her sister. How would he react when he found out she was his mother – especially since she will look like she's his age!

"My, my, we have been speaking for quite a while," Death said, "Technically it has been a little less than ten years since you arrived. I think now is a good time for you to return. Remember Lily, most will know you as Holly Evans."

"I guess I better get used to that name then," Lily, or rather _Holly Evans_ now, said.

A whooshing sound was heard and Lily turned, and saw a portal now where the wall to return to the Muggle world usually stood.

"Have fun, Holly," Death said, "I will be seeing you again soon."

Lily shuddered, and turned and walked toward the portal. She took a deep breath, and stepped through it, beginning her new life as Holly Evans.

* * *

Death sat there on the bench, as he watched the new Holly Evans step through the portal. He knew he was taking a big risk by doing this. But if it destroyed Tom Riddle and his Horcruxes years earlier, then he was okay with that. Even if it meant many people would live who would have died, while others would die who would have lived without his interference. He was okay with that as well.

But Harry Potter was worth it. Harry was the one who was prophesized to take down Tom Riddle, an annoying stain who should have met Death long ago. Death would allow these rewards and encouragement that came from his mother and new friend.

"Why didn't you tell her what I said?" a voice said near Death.

Death turned and saw James Potter sitting on the bench beside him.

"Hmm?" Death asked.

"Why didn't you tell Lily that there may come a time when Harry yearns for more than friendship with her?" James asked.

"Why would I do that?" Death asked. "One it is entertaining to see what might happen. Two, if it does happen, Tom Riddle, who doesn't know love, will find himself in a world of pain because of it. Three, your son would know love, which would help him survive. Why would you want to stop something like that?"

"He will already know love!" James said, "You know this! He will know plenty of love! I mean – the once horny teenager in me supports your Harem plan, my son would deserve it. But... well... what you are encouraging is... well... wrong!"

"Come now, James," Death said, "I happen to know your great-great-great aunt and uncle through your mother's side were siblings! They died an hour apart. Your uncle sat in here waiting for your Aunt, and believe me, I just want to forgot what happened during their reunion."

Death shuddered. When elderly couples died, they came into the afterlife in their young adult bodies. There were some of these couples, when reunited, who would have a reunion shag right there on the platform. Some people, like Dorea Black's ancestors that came to Death's mind, were quite kinky, especially for siblings. So much so, that it _even horrified_ _Death_!

"They were Blacks!" James said, "As much as I love Sirius, most of his family and ancestors were insane."

"It is tradition, my good man," Death said, "Besides, the heart wants what the heart wants. Now, behave and you can have your own little viewing room to watch the show. For a bonus, when people come through here, people you hate – such as Pettigrew – you can torture them all you want before they pass on."

James harrumphed, but Death could see the Marauder in James liking the "bonus".

"Fine," James said, "But I still don't have to like it!"

Death shrugged. James didn't have to like it. But Death would... oh yes, he knew he was going to have so much fun!


	2. Gringotts Part 1

**As stated at the end of the previous chapter, Lily will now be referred to as Holly Evans. She will tell some people her real identity but she will still wish to be known as Holly.**

 **Also, a few reviewers are concerned about Holly's revelation to Harry about who she is. I know there are some who want me to wait a while for her to tell him who she is, but I can't do that. As you'll find in this and the next chapter, they're both technically 'orphans', and by the end of the first day's events (which won't get done till probably chapter 4 or 5!), they'll probably be living together. Plus, Harry, as you'll see in this chapter becomes WAY too curious about who Holly is. So, yes, she will reveal to him who she is... but his reaction is a bit unexpected. But that won't come till probably chapter 5.**

 **Also, there are a couple of reviewers concerned about the Occlumency stuff. Holly has a plan for that, I assure you. Let's just say this, Lily was a master at Charms, yes? So she could be quite the inventor if she had to be!**

* * *

Holly Evans – once known as Lily Marie Evans Potter - once again found herself laying on her back, though this time when she woke up, the light in the room was not blinding. Also, she was laying on something quite comfortable instead of hard cement.

She instantly remembered what had happened before she came into this predicament. She had found herself in the afterlife, and then had a very long conversation with a being known as Death. She could remember every word of the conversation. Which was good, Holly thought, since it was very important. The last thing she remembered, she walked through a strange portal into a blinding flash of light, then woke up here.

She sat up and looked at herself; and found that she was wearing clothes, which she was quite relieved about. However, she could already tell her appearance was quite different! She looked at her surroundings and found that she was in one of the rooms at the Leaky Cauldron, just like Death had said. She was currently sitting on the bed, which explained the comfort.

She stood up from the bed and walked over to a vanity table, complete with mirror. She looked at her reflection and found that she was, indeed, an eleven year old girl. She thought she would look like eleven-year old Lily Evans, and while she did resemble the Evans girls, there were distinct differences. She had the 'Evans eyes' – a beautiful emerald green. While her hair was still red, it was a much darker red than she was used to. Lily Evans' hair had been short and straight, ending up at her shoulders. Holly Evans' hair was long and wavy, ending up just below her shoulder blades, though she knew it could be longer. Her face was heart-shaped, her nose a little smaller than she was used to, and her lips were a little puffier.

 _Well, at least I don't resemble a horse like Tunie. Thank goodness for small miracles!_

She sighed as she looked down at her flat chest. She very much hoped her body would mature better and faster this go around. While Lily Evans could be seen as having a beautiful figure, none of it was seen in her chest area until around the end of her fifth year at Hogwarts. She had the smallest breasts in her entire year, and even some of the girls one and two years younger were bigger! For Merlin's sake, she thought she would have what she referred to as 'bee stings' by now! Perhaps she was a late bloomer...

Holly did have to admit that the rest of her body looked okay. She was skinny, but not in an unhealthy  
way, and her hips were okay in her opinion. She figured she was average height when it came to eleven-year old girls.

She was currently wearing a nondescript white tee and jeans, as well as sneakers. Muggle clothing. Mostly boring and plain. She would have to change that soon enough.

 _Well, hopefully nobody who knew Lily will see more than a passing family resemblance,_ Holly thought.

She looked down on the vanity and found an envelope sitting there. She recognized it as those usually seen at Hogwarts. She picked it up and read the cover: _Ms. Holly Marie Evans, Room 7, The Leaky Cauldron, London._ She frowned. Death told her that the room was supposed to be vacant. He also said that Holly was supposed to be an orphan, so why wasn't the letter addressed to the orphanage? Holly shrugged, deciding it wasn't important, and opened the letter. She took out two pieces of parchment, The first was the familiar invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The second was the booklist. Holly was amused to see that a few of the books were the same title as when Lily was in her first year just over two decades ago.

Holly stuffed the parchment back in the envelope and placed it into a back pocket of her jeans. She looked up at the clock on the wall and saw that it was nearly nine-o-clock.

 _Hopefully Hagrid and Harry haven't arrived yet,_ Holly thought, then realized she was being stupid. _Nonsense, this is what Death sent me back here for, isn't it? To meet Harry, be his friend, and guide him to his proper destiny which does not end in sacrifice! I can't begin that if I don't meet him now!_

She shook her head, laughing at how silly she was, and left the room. She then made her way down to the bottom floor. For being early in the morning, the bar was filled with patrons. As she walked around looking for an empty table, she heard some random conversation.

"Did you know today is Harry Potter's eleventh birthday!" a large blonde-haired woman said.

"Yes!" a skinny red-haired woman in her forties said, "Do you think he is going to Hogwarts? Oh, if only I was eleven again! You know what they say about a Potter. Can't resist a red-head."

Holly scoffed. Loudly. She ignored the glares coming from the two women. She couldn't believe this! She understood her son was famous, but to be gossiped about like such by a couple of ladies who were nearly as ugly as hags, and old enough to be – well, even if Lily was around, they would still be much older than her!

If this was what it was like with the older generation, how would the students at Hogwarts react, especially those around Harry's age, and a little older? No, Holly would not let that happen. There was a month until she and Harry would go to Hogwarts. She would prepare him and make sure he was ready. And perhaps she would help him make some good friends before then. Especially if her plans went how she thought they would.

As she found an empty table, her eyes caught the front door of the Leaky Cauldron open at that moment. A large man walked into the pub, and Holly instantly recognized him as Rubeus Hagrid.

Then she saw who she had been waiting for.

 _Harry! My little boy!_

And he was. Little, that is. He was a lot smaller than she thought he would be. She remembered James at eleven years old. He was at least six inches taller than Harry was now. Heck, Holly was taller than Harry was, and she regarded herself as average, which was smaller than most boys her age!

 _Oh, Harry, what did Tunie and that walrus of a man do to you?_

As the light shone in on Harry, Holly could see that he was wearing a shirt and pants that looked way too big for him. Second-hand clothing. Holly's disgust toward a woman who was once her sister continued to grow by the minute. How could the woman treat her own nephew like this?

"Ah, Hagrid!" a man said, and even now Holly recognized the voice of Tom the barman and owner of the Leaky Cauldron, "The usual I presume."

 _Damn it, Hagrid can't keep secrets, he's going to tell the whole pub about Harry!_

She concentrated and pointed a finger at Hagrid, focusing on wandless silent magic.

 _Confundus!_ _Rubeus Hagrid, you are here to take Harry and myself school shopping. You will not announce either of our names! You will come and sit down at my table, and buy us breakfast and then we will go to Gringotts!_

Holly watched as Hagrid blinked in confusion, as the spell hit him.

"Can't, Tom," he said, a moment later, "I'm on official Hogwarts business. Taking a couple of students in for their school shopping. Was supposed to meet someone here." He looked toward Holly. "There she is!"

Hagrid pushed Harry forward, without making one mention of his name, nor putting too much attention his way. He and Harry arrived at the vacant table. Hagrid took one full side of the table up by himself, so Harry sat next to Holly. Holly waved her hand underneath the table, casting a notice-me-not charm on around them, so nobody but Tom would bother them. Holly smiled at Harry, taking in his appearance. She could see the scar on his forehead.

 _So that is where the bastard hit my son with that damnable curse. That is where the Horcrux lies. Don't worry, Harry, it will be gone soon._

She realized she was staring, when Harry brushed his fringe down to cover the scar. He blushed, a cute pink color, covering his cheeks.

 _Damn, either he's embarrassed or angry that I saw his scar. Or perhaps he's embarrassed he's sitting next to a cute girl?_

As Holly contemplated this, Tom walked up to the table.

"I guess I will take the usual, Tom," Hagrid chortled. "And two breakfast specials with pumpkin juice for these two youngsters. My treat! It is the lad's birthday after all."

Holly caught Tom looking toward Harry's scar. His eyes widened, and Holly cast a Confundus so he wouldn't think the young boy was Harry, nor would he say it out loud.

"Coming up in a few minutes!" Tom said, then smiled and walked away.

Holly cast a Muffliato Charm she had learned from Severus Snape. She didn't want anyone to hear their conversation.

"I guess this is a good enough time for introductions," Holly said. "I'm Holly Evans, a Muggleborn."

Harry raised a questioning eyebrow and looked toward Hagrid.

"Means her parents are Muggles, like yer relatives," Hagrid explained.

"So... like me?" Harry asked.

"Nope." Hagrid said, with a smile, "Yer Mum was a Muggleborn. Your father was pureblood. So yer half-blood. But that don' matter one bit, you two 'ear me? Yer blood's the same as everyone else's. There are some wizards out there who believe that blood does matter, that it makes purebloods better because of it. But yer father was not one o' them, Harry. Not one bit. He was a great man, he was. And yer mother, one o' the best n' brightest witches around. Glad ter have called 'em friends."

Holly did her best not to blush at the compliment.

"Enough of me rantin'," Hagrid said, "Nice ter meet ya, Miss Evans, I am Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. Call me Hagrid."

"Harry," Harry said, shyly, "Harry Potter.'

"Very nice to meet the both of you," Holly said. "Is it your birthday, Harry?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, Happy Birthday then," Holly said with a smile.

Harry lowered his head, and Holly saw a tinge of pink in his cheeks as he muttered 'thanks'.

"Evans, huh?" Hagrid said, to Holly, "you wouldn't be related to –?"

"I'm an orphan, Hagrid," Holly said before he could mention Lily's name, "My parents died when I was very young."

Harry's eyebrows raised, and he mouthed words. Holly was sure he said 'like me'.

"Oh," Hagrid said, with a frown, "Well, that's sad, that is. Sorry."

"It is okay," Holly said, "Don't remember much about 'em."

She hated lying to Hagrid, but she couldn't say anything to Harry yet. Hagrid would raise a fuss if she even mentioned the word 'cousin'.

 _In fact, by the time we get to the bank,_ Holly thought, _I'm going to have to wipe your memory of meeting me, and you will best be on your way. Perhaps you'll need to get a bit drunk to make the excuse you can't remember much. Sorry, old friend. Harry needs me._

"So... you're a witch?" Harry asked.

"Yep," Holly said, then decided to come up with a story to tell about her fictional life, "I grew up in an orphanage a few miles away from here, and a few years back I turned Miss Nail's hair pink when I got angry at her. She was a mean old lady, she was the one who was watching over all of us orphans. I knew it was me who turned her hair pink, though I didn't know why at first. Three days later, while in her office, I got angry at her again. Everything on her desk flew off of it. I knew it couldn't be a coincidence, that I was doing whatever it was that was happening. So I came up with the best excuse, that the orphanage was haunted by a ghost! She resigned the very next day!"

Hagrid chortled rather loudly, and Harry chuckled a little.

"Anyway, the summer after my tenth birthday," Holly said, "I was walking down Charing Cross road, when I noticed this very restaurant we're all sitting in. Not very many people were even looking at this building, and it was as if they couldn't see it! That got me curious. So I came in here, and eventually, I followed a witch and wizard back into Diagon Alley, which you'll see soon Harry. It was wonderful! I spent at least two or three days every week coming here. Ended up reading a bunch of books – I love to read, by the way – and learned a lot about the wizarding world. It was then that I realized what I had been doing all those years. Magic! I had learned I was a witch! So if I seem smarter than your average Muggleborn, you know why."

Holly took a deep breath, happy for thinking of such a tale. She would have to remember that for those who couldn't know who she really was.

"Isn't that something?" Hagrid said, "If yer so familiar with the place, why did ya request a chaperone today?"

"I was hoping you might bring in a fellow student," Holly said, "Figured I might meet a new friend."

She looked at Harry and smiled. Harry blushed pink again.

"I'd like that," Harry said, "I never had a friend."

"So, new friend," Holly said, "Have you done anything strange when you were little?"

Harry went pinker when she called him 'new friend'. "I turned my teacher's hair blue once. And once I was running away from some mean kids, and ended up on the roof of the school kitchens."

Holly grinned. Accidental Apparation as a child! To think, what power he must have, especially when they were able to remove the bindings from his core!

"What you did was called Apparation, Harry," Holly said, "We'll probably learn it the proper way a few years from now. We're too young for it at the moment."

Harry nodded, then grinned. "You really do sound smart! Er – I mean –"

"I know what you mean," Holly said, "Thank you for such a compliment."

Harry looked away to hide his blushing face. At that moment, Tom walked back to the table and Holly temporarily lowered the Muffliato charm. Tom placed the three trays in front of them, and Hagrid paid with Galleons, Sickles and Knuts, while teaching Harry what each one was. Tom then left, and Holly reset the charms.

There wasn't much conversation as the three occupants of the table feasted on their meal. At times, Holly watched Harry as he ate. In fact, he ate as if he hadn't eaten in many days.

 _Malnutrition,_ Holly realized, _That is why he looks so small and skinny. Petunia, you bitch! You better hope I never lay my eyes on you or your husband! Oh, Harry, I promise, you will eat three full meals a day from now on and more if you want!_

When the meals were finished, Hagrid lead Holly and Harry out to the alleyway behind the Leaky Cauldron. He instructed Harry on which bricks to tap in order to open the entryway. Harry watched, pure wonder and joy on his face, as the bricks melted into an archway, revealing the magnificent Diagon Alley beyond the secret entrance.

"Welcome, Harry," Holly said, "to Diagon Alley!"

"Wow!" Harry exclaimed.

Holly giggled. "Basically my reaction the first time I saw it."

"Come on, kids," Hagrid said, "We need to start at Gringotts bank."

Holly watched the expressions on Harry's face as he looked around at the various shops. His eyes were looking around at everything, and Holly feared he would injure his neck the way he was turning it so often.

"We'll go wherever you wish, Harry," Holly whispered to him, "I promise."

Harry smiled at Holly and nodded. Soon they reached the entrance of Gringotts. Holly saw Harry look at the Goblin poem – written in English – on one of the large decorative doors.

"Like I said earlier, Harry," Hagrid said, "Ye be mad ter even think o' robbing the bank. No place safer, 'cept perhaps Hogwarts."

Holly followed Hagrid and Harry into the bank's large Atrium. Then Holly knew what she needed to do. She concentrated on Hagrid, and hit him with another Confundus Charm, making him fear the bank carts.

"Ugh," Hagrid said, "Harry, Holly, I think I'm just going to stay right here. Those contraptions that go to the vault give me the willies."

"We might be a while, Hagrid," Holly said, "Perhaps we can meet somewhere. I could take Harry shopping. I know where we're going."

Holly pointed her finger at him again.

Hagrid grinned and nodded his large head. "That sounds like a fine idea, young lady."

"Are you sure, Hagrid?" Harry asked.

"Holly knows her way around, I trust," Hagrid said, "You'll be just fine. I'll see you later. Oh! Almost fergot. Ya need your bank key, Harry. Got it here somewhere." He rummaged around his large coat pockets. "Ah, here's the little devil!"

Holly frowned as she watched Hagrid give the key to Harry. She knew Dumbledore must have had it before.

 _Used it to steal from Harry! Well, not anymore!_

"Oh, well, alright," Harry said, as he looked at the key. "I guess I'll see you later then, Hagrid."

"This isn't goodbye," Hagrid said, "I'll see ya soon."

Hagrid smiled, waved at Holly and Harry, then walked out of the bank. Harry frowned then looked toward Holly.

"We're not going to see him again today, are we?" he asked.

Holly was surprised. "Why do you say that?"

"I saw you waving your fingers toward him," Harry said, "You did magic on him. Hagrid didn't say anything about meeting another student today. Who are you?"

Holly sighed. "I promise to tell you everything before the end of the day, Harry. You can trust me. I could make a magical vow of honor if you want."

Harry frowned. "No, you don't need to. Is your name really Holly?"

"Yes, but it is complicated," Holly said, "Look, if everything goes right today, you will never have to go back to your relatives again."

Harry's eyes brightened as he looked at Holly. "Really?"

"Never again," Holly said, "Look Harry, the Potters are an old family. One of the oldest, though they didn't start as Potters. Soon, you will find you probably have more money than you know what to do with. Your children and grandchildren will grow up and not worry about money."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "I'm – I'm rich? Holly, I can't be. Look at me, if I had money -"

"Would your relatives even spend it on you?" Holly asked.

Harry frowned. "I guess not."

"Harry, if I am right, you are going to learn a lot of stuff today," Holly said, "You might even find out you own some houses you can live in instead of at your relatives! Listen, just do as I say and by the end of the day I will explain everything. Okay?"

"You're my very first friend, Holly," Harry said, "If you're lying to me at all – I – I don't know what I'll do."

"By the end of the day, I will tell you exactly who I am," Holly said, "In fact, you'll find out more about yourself as well. If it turns out you hate me, I'll go away. If you want to know more, I'll tell you. It will be your choice."

Holly felt a pang in her chest. She could almost see Harry's heart break. She could see the hope in his eyes that she would still be his friend. But there was also fear. Was it fear that she wouldn't be his friend, or fear that he may find he wouldn't want her as one anymore?

"Okay," he said, though his emerald eyes still held the same emotions.

Holly smiled, but internally she was doing a mixture of sighing in relief and screaming. She hated seeing Harry like this. She only hoped things went well.

"Okay," Holly said, "This is what we need to do..."

Holly instructed Harry on exactly what bank business he needed to do. He looked shocked, and a bit scared, when she mentioned inheritances and possible Wills his parents might have had. She then instructed him how to act around Goblins, and to be on his best behavior, and show respect.

"Harry, forgive me for saying this, but I think you should have a Healer – or doctor – look you over," Holly said; Harry's eyes widened, and he looked scared again, "I know there are things you might want to hide from everyone including me. But I promise you, you won't regret it. They might even fix your eyesight and get rid of your scar."

Harry's timid, scared look changed a little, and he smiled slightly. "Really?"

"Really," Holly said, "I hear the Goblin Healers are the best."

Harry sighed and nodded. "Alright."

"Good," Holly said, "After we do some bank business, we'll talk to them about Healers. Let's go."

Holly walked deeper into the Atrium, and looked around at the nameplates of the Goblins. She soon found the name _Ragnok_ on one, which had no queue in front of it. She lead Harry toward it. When they arrived, the goblin looked up at the two children and raised his eyebrows. Holly wondered if he recognized Harry.

"Yes?" Ragnok asked.

"Greetings, Keeper Ragnok," Holly said, "May your gold and the blood of your enemies continue to flow."

Ragnok's eyebrows raised at the respect and tradition toward the Goblins shown to him.

"Greetings, young Miss," he said, "May your treasures be bountiful, and your battles quick, bloody and victorious."

"My name is Holly Evans," Holly said, "I understand you are the Keeper of my Vault, sir?"

The goblin stared at Holly for a moment, his eyebrows narrowed. "Hmm. Yes, I believe that is so. By coincidence I am also the Keeper of your Vault, Mr. Potter."

Harry's eyes widened. "How do you know me... er... sir?"

"You look very much like your father, young Lord," Ragnok said.

"I see," Harry said; he looked at Holly, who nodded, then looked back at the Goblin. "I wish to speak to you, Keeper Ragnok, about my inheritance, possible Wills from my parents, and any other business I may have with my Vaults. I apologize for not meeting you sooner. I just discovered the wizarding world today."

Ragnok harrumphed, making Harry jump. Holly frowned; Harry was scared of the creature. This was not a good way to start what would be an important meeting.

"Apologies for frightening you, Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "If your fate was different, we would have been introduced around the time of your seventh birthday, as is tradition of your family."

"Oh," Harry said, "Er... sorry."

"Apology accepted, but unnecessary," Ragnok said, "We should take this discussion somewhere private. Something tells me that the two of you would not object to being present together for each other's discussion."

Holly looked at Harry, who exchanged a glance.

"Yes, sir," Holly said.

"If that is alright with you, sir," Harry asked, with a timid voice.

"Something tells me this was meant to happen," Ragnok said; as he looked at Holly.

Holly shivered unconsciously. From the way the Goblin was looking at her, something told her she was about to expect one of Death's surprises very shortly.

"Follow me," Ragnok barked out.

Holly took Harry's hand; while it made him blush pink again, it also made him calm down, so Holly decided she was successful. She lead him toward a door that Ragnok was heading to. When they arrived, Ragnok opened the door, and lead both of them inside. When they entered, they found a small room with a simple wooden table and chairs. Holly shivered again; the room reminded her of the interrogation rooms in the Auror Department of the Ministry of Magic. Though the room did seem much warmer than the interrogation rooms. Ragnok sat down on one side of the table, while Holly and Harry sat on the other side.

"Who will go first?" Ragnok asked.

"Harry," Holly said.

Harry shrugged and nodded.

"Very well," Ragnok said.

He snapped his bony fingers, and large metal box appeared on the table with a sharp _clang!_ The unexpected appearance made Holly and Harry both jump. Ragnok ran a single long finger down the center of the box's lid, then removed the lid. The box was filled with creme-colored folders.

Ragnok removed one of the folders then opened it. His eyes moved back and forth as he looked at what Holly guessed was a piece of parchment.

"Hmm," Ragnok said, "This states that during a meeting like this, Lord Potter, you should be accompanied by your magical guardian."

Holly looked at Harry and nodded. This was one of the things she had instructed him about.

"Did my parents leave an official Will, Keeper Ragnok?" Harry asked.

Ragnok rummaged through the box, and took out what looked like two large metal contraptions that looked like rolling pins. Holly knew these were where Wills at Gringotts were held.

"It is very curious, Lord Potter," Ragnok said. "A few years ago, Albus Dumbledore – the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where you will be attending come September – came here and asked me if he could see your parents' Wills. I explained to him that only two people were allowed to open the Wills. One is you, Lord Potter, the other would be your magical guardian."

Ragnok's eyes narrowed and he went silent for a moment.

"Dumbledore said he was your magical guardian," he continued, "but when I asked him to go through the process of opening your Wills, he then told me that he was the witness of the Will. I repeated my statement, and he immediately declined and said he would do so at a later date. I understand failure to be recognized as one who has permission to open an official Will can be quite painful. It is curious, because he has not returned for such a meeting. Ever since then, I've had my doubts about whether the man is truly your official magical guardian, though I never had any proof. I wish I did. There are some questionable actions by the man. I have a feeling we will find some answers today."

"I hope so, sir," Harry said. "I have a feeling I'm not going to like what we discover."

"Well, time is money, Lord Potter, and neither is something you should waste," Ragnok said; he placed both containers in front of Harry. "Place one finger on one of the containers, then the other. You will feel a light pinprick. I assure you it is not dangerous. It will remove a dollop of your blood, then you will be healed straight away."

Harry shivered slightly, hesitated for a moment, then pressed a finger on one container. He winced lightly, then pressed the same finger on the other, though he did not wince again. The containers made a metallic grinding noise as they rolled backward toward Ragnok. The containers formed into scrolls of parchment, which rolled flat onto the table. Ragnok cleared his throat and stated:

"I, Ragnok, the Vault Keeper of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. am witness to the Reading of the Last Wills and Testaments of James Charlus Potter and Lily Marie Potter nee Evans. Lord Potter, as the last heir of the Ancient Line, so proven by your blood, make your choice. Do you wish the Reading to be by voice or by your own eyes?"

"Do I have permission to allow Holly to read them as well, sir?" Harry asked.

Ragnok stared at Holly deeply for a moment, then sighed, making a gargling sound. "I'll allow it."

"I wish to read by my own eyes, sir," Harry said, "I allow Holly to read them as well."

Ragnok relaxed in his chair, and motioned for Harry to read the Wills. They started with James' Will. Holly knew what the Will said, having been there when James had made it. But she read it over to make sure it was the very same Will.

 **I, James Charlus Potter, of able body and mind, claim this, my Final Will and Testament.**

 **If I am no longer of this Earth, and my wife, Lily Marie Potter nee Evans, survives me, I leave the contents of this Will to her until my son, Harry James Potter, reaches his age of majority.**

 **If Lily Marie Potter is no longer of this Earth, at the time of this Reading, I leave these various items to the following:**

Holly had spoken to Harry about what might be in the Wills. If there was anyone besides Harry in the Will who was named, Harry or Gringotts could contact these people later. She looked through the names quickly to make sure they were still correct, and the items and money given was correct. Various names of their closest friends and allies of the family were named. Holly then eyed the name Peter Pettigrew. It was crossed out, which meant his portion of the will was void. Here was legal, magical proof of the true betrayer of the Potters. Goblin magic which focused on Wills would only cross out names if the person had betrayed whom the Will was made by.

Holly then saw Harry's name. Under a number which indicated the obscene amount of Galleons Harry owned, as well as the various specific items, most of which were in the Potter Family Vault, was named, there were more interesting pieces of information.

 _When Harry reaches the age of eleven, I officially name him Lord Potter, the Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. I also request an official Inheritance Test for Harry so he may discover any and all titles to his name. At this time, if Lily Potter is no longer of this Earth, I officially ask that my son becomes Emancipated with everything this entails._

 _If Lily Potter is no longer of this Earth, I name these individuals below Harry's Official and Magical Guardians._

 _(In order of preference – if individual is no longer of this Earth, the next name in line becomes Guardian)_

 _Sirius Black – Godfather by right of 'The Godfather Ritual'. Best friend._

 _Alice Longbottom, and her husband, Frank – Godmother by right of 'The Godmother Ritual'. Family friends and allies._

 _Amelia Susan Bones – family friend and ally._

 _Pandora Lovegood and her husband, Xenophilius – family friends_

 _Minerva McGonagall – James Potter's godmother._

 _By no means, should Harry Potter be raised by Petunia Dursley nee Evans and her husband Vernon._

 _Property Ownership to be given to Harry James Potter on day of majority or Emancipation:_

 _Potter Manor – Northampton, England  
Potter Cottage – Godric's Hollow, England  
Beach Vacation House – La Rochelle, France  
Chateau Potter – Nice, France _

_This is Prongs signing off, Mischief Managed._

There were also various other locations, which were mostly businesses, some of which were in Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, and Hogsmeade. The most interesting was that Harry now owned forty-five percent of the Daily Prophet, and their side-businesses, Witch Weekly and Teen Witch Weekly. He was also a quarter owner of the Lovegood owned newspaper, The Quibbler. Holly smiled as she eyed the particular information. That may very well come in handy in the future. She figured from the total of the buildings, at least two million Galleons were coming into the Potter Family Vault each year.

Holly continued to read:

 _My son, Harry,_

 _If you are reading this alone, then myself and your mother are no longer part of this Earth. This does not mean that we no longer love you. Death could not take our love from you, my son. I hope that you have found a good family to grow up with and love. They have probably told you that they cannot replace your parents, but if they are the guardians my Will has allowed, then I am sure they love you just as much as your mother and I do. I hope that one day you will find someone who you love, and loves you just as much as I love your mother. It gives me no greater pride than to call you my son. I will forever be proud of your accomplishments as long you are proud of them._

 _I love you son, and I always will. I have faith we will see each other at one point or another, though I hope for you it is not for many, many years._

 _By signing this Final Will and Testament, I vow that everything said here is true and honest,_

 _James Charlus Potter_

 _Witness: Lily Marie Evans  
Witness: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore  
Gringotts Official Witness: Ragnok, Potter Family Vault Keeper_

 _This is Prongs signing off, Mischief Managed._

Holly watched as Harry read her Will. There wasn't much more than what was shown in his father's will. The main differences were the fact that her best friend, Pandora, was higher on the list of Guardians, and that she had her own goodbye letter for Harry. She had almost given money to Petunia, but now she was glad she didn't. Then something else caught her eye. Something she had forgotten, even as she had put it in her will. There was one more residence Harry now owned:

 **#4 Privet Drive, Surrey, England**

From the look on Harry's face, she knew he had seen it too. Then he started laughing.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Holly asked.

"The Dursleys always called me a freeloader in their house," Harry said, "Apparently, I own the house they live in. Oh, and nearly half of the business my Uncle works for. I could – well, I could ruin them if I wanted to."

"Do you want to?" Holly asked.

"I'll think about it later," Harry said, shrugging.

"Er... before we continue, Keeper Ragnok," Holly said, "A name on Harry's father's Will surprised me. Sirius Black. Forgive me, but some of the recent history books I read, it says he was the Potter's Secret Keeper, and that he betrayed Harry's parents. It also says he was sent to Azkaban."

Harry narrowed his eyes as he looked from Holly to Ragnok.

"That is indeed what your history books say," Ragnok said; Holly noticed that he did not mention that it was what really happened.

"Well," Holly said, "It also says Sirius Black participated in the Godfather Ritual. I read about that as well. If Sirius betrayed Harry, and in essence his parents, wouldn't the ritual have struck him dead?"

Ragnok raised his eyebrows. "Indeed, it does mean that."

"So... does that mean my Godfather is innocent, Keeper Ragnok?" Harry asked; his expression had softened from the look of rage he had felt at the mention of betrayal.

"Technically it does mean that, yes, Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "However, the Ministry of Magic does not seem aware that the ritual was made. Unfortunately the Ministry of Magic tends to dislike working with Gringotts. I will attempt to bring this up to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. By coincidence, their Department Head, Amelia Bones, was supposed to be a possible guardian of yours, Lord Potter."

"Yes, it appears she was friendly with my parents," Harry said. "Please contact her and tell her I wish to speak to her soon. If she wishes to meet here or elsewhere, she can contact me."

Holly smiled. She had not instructed Harry to say any of that. It seems his confidence was growing. And then she found out why.

"Also, one of the reasons Sirius was sent to Azkaban," Holly said, "was for the murder of Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew's name is on the Will, but it is crossed out. Is it because he is dead?"

Ragnok sighed deeply. "No. Death does not cross names out of a Will. Any gift, that of money or item, named for a deceased, would either be given to direct family of the person the Will was written for, or to certain charities. Crossing out of names means that they have betrayed the person the Will was written for."

"So... Peter Pettigrew betrayed my parents," Harry said, "Not my godfather."

"It seems so," Ragnok said, "This, too, shall be discussed with Madam Bones."

"Okay," Harry said, "Sir? According to both of my parents, it appears that I was never meant to be sent to the Dursleys at all. I have spent the last – well – nearly ten years there."

"We will get down to the bottom of all investigations that are sparked from this meeting, Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "That I assure you. I have a feeling this is only the tip of the beanpole. However, as requested in your Will, at the age of eleven, you will reach majority through Emancipation. You will no longer be required to return to your relatives. If I recall, today is your eleventh birthday?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"A very Happy Birthday to you, Lord Potter," Ragnok said. "We will soon begin the Emancipation process as requested by your father. What is next on the agenda?"

"My father's Will says something about Inheritance, which is something I wanted to do," Harry said, "So I guess that is next. Also, I wish to put an audit on my vaults."

"I was going to suggest the latter, Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "I am pleased you have brought it up. It appears that one Albus Dumbledore was never given permission to be your Magical Guardian. Funny enough, it seems when we met, he was so very sure about such a title. I have a feeling we have a matter of criminal behavior to investigate. If I may request, Lord Potter, can we take a short break? Drinks and snacks will appear soon, and you may use our human facilities if – as the humans say – nature has called."

"Er... yes, sir," Harry said, blushing, "I do need to go to the bathroom. I was embarrassed to ask."

"No need for embarrassment," Ragnok said, "I will let you in on a rarely known Goblin secret. Not even Goblins can control their bladder for long periods of time."

Ragnok chuckled and Harry and Holly gave a chuckle as well, careful not to show their teeth, as that was an insult to Goblins.

"Yes," Ragnok said, "A short break then we will continue business! If Miss Evans, you do not need our facilities, you may remain here until we continue."

Holly nodded. She had a feeling Ragnok wanted to speak to her.

"I'll stay here," she said.

"Very well," Ragnok said, "Lord Potter, during our break, I will talk to my assistant as well as a couple of colleagues of mine to investigate your audit request and other criminal behavior surrounding your family, and your vaults. It should not take very long, we Goblins tend to work very fast. When we return, we will perform the Inheritance test where you will claim all titles to your name, and your Emancipation will be official."

"Alright," Harry said, "I'll be back shortly then. By your leave."

Ragnok nodded, and Harry jumped up out of his chair and walked out of the room. When Harry was out of the room, Ragnok cleared his throat and looked at Holly.

"You've done very well to hide your emotions through all of this," he said. "I take it Lord Potter does not know his new friend is actually his mother?"

 **Thank you all!**

 **As to be able to understand the story I am copying the first 18 chapters from Lily's Next Great Adventure by Vance McGill, updates will be fairly quick but after that I honestly don't know how frequent the updates will be.**

 **Thank you to all of you again.**

 **HermioneEvelynPotter.**


	3. Gringotts 2 and Diagon Alley

**Note: This is 4 chapters of the original story. I thought you guys earnt it seeing as i was without internet for 4 days.**

Harry jumped up out of his chair and walked out of the room. When Harry was out of the room, Ragnok cleared his throat and looked at Holly.

"You've done very well to hide your emotions through all of this," he said. "I take it Lord Potter does not know his new friend is actually his mother?"

Holly tried to hide the horror she was feeling. Was this one of the surprises Death mentioned? That Ragnok would know her true identity? She knew she had to be honest here. Lying to a Goblin was _very_ dangerous.

"No, he does not," Holly said, "I promise you, Keeper Ragnok, that I mean no harm to Harry. My intentions were to guide him through his business here at Gringotts, so that he may become Emancipated and gain whatever titles his Inheritance will provide. You were correct when you believed there was criminal behavior going on. You will soon find out that the House of Potter has been betrayed often, even before that fateful Halloween night. Betrayal that even reaches your hallowed halls of Gringotts, as well as its vaults."

Ragnok frowned, but motioned for Holly to continue.

"After Harry and I leave here," Holly continued, "I will take him shopping, school items and clothing, and anything else he may need. Then, I believe we will go to Potter Manor, where I plan to reveal everything to him. I do not know what will happen after that revelation. I only hope it goes well."

"Well-spoken," Ragnok said, "I see no dishonesty in your words. I will trust that you know what you are doing. Tread cautiously, however. I believe you may be wondering how I know about this... secret of yours?"

"Yes, sir," Holly said.

Ragnok snapped his fingers, and two pieces of parchment appeared in his hands.

"I was expecting your arrival this morning," he said, "along with that of Lord Potter. How? A few minutes before your arrival two letters appeared at my station. One was addressed to you, the other to myself. This is your letter. I am to instruct you that you should not open it until you receive your Inheritance, so it seems you do have one. I was also told you know exactly who wrote these letters."

"I believe I do," Holly said, with a nod.

"Then apparently you will know a certain codeword labeled in my letter," Ragnok said, "This codeword would be enough proof that you are being honest. What is that codeword?"

Holly raised her eyebrows. Death had not said anything about codewords. Then... she realized exactly what the word was. Death would have wanted to give her an easy way to spark such a conversation with the Goblins.

"I believe the word is Horcrux," Holly said, "Or in its plural form, Horcruxes."

Ragnok's lips went very thin. "Precisely. This letter states that if you knew the codeword, you would know what it meant. It also says it refers to, and I quote 'an emergency Gringotts should be aware of'. I am not aware of any emergency, however something tells me you know what it is."

"The monster who refers to himself as Lord Voldemort is not dead as many of my people so believe," Holly said, "He created six of these Horcruxes, plus himself. He may create another down the road. One of my... tasks... is to destroy all of these Horcruxes before Voldemort returns. As to when he will return, I do not know yet. Unfortunately for the Goblin nation, two of the Horcruxes are in this building at this very moment."

Ragnok's lips turned into a snarl. "I see. Do you know where they are?"

"One is in one of the vaults owned by one of Voldemort's followers," Holly said. "I was not told which one it resides in. I do know it is Helga Hufflepuff's legendary goblet, easily seen because it is marked with her badger."

Ragnok muttered under his breath something that sounded like a swear in Gobbledygook.

"I will give a message to the Council about this," he said, "Though I do not know how yet without revealing too much information about my clients – mainly you."

"I believe I have an answer for that," Holly said, "You see, Harry needs an appointment with one of your Goblin Healers. A Horcrux resides in his scar, and I am told your magic can remove it."

Holly held her breath as she stared at Ragnok who stared back with beady eyes. She knew she was requesting a lot, especially when it came to seeking assistance like this. However, she realized one thing that would help above all others. Horcruxes were one of the Darkest magics on Earth. They were considered abominations by the Goblins. Holly could see the rarely-shown emotions in Ragnok's eyes. She knew he was a long time Keeper for the Potter family. Each member of the Potters was like a member of his own clan and family.

"It will be done," Ragnok said, "When Harry returns, we should convince him to agree to an appointment."

"I talked to him about your Healers before we met with you, Keeper Ragnok," Holly said, "He seemed a little on edge with the request to seek assistance, but with your guidance, he may give in."

"The Potter men have always been stubborn," Ragnok said, "Luckily there is one thing all Potter men loathe, and that is Dark magic of the worst kind."

"Indeed," Holly said. "Keeper Ragnok, my apologies for this distraction. I know you need to seek your colleagues to begin the audit investigation."

"It is already taking place, do not fret," Ragnok said, "It is done with a simple snap of the fingers. I only made the excuse to Harry, that I needed a break to speak to my colleagues, because I needed to speak to you alone."

Before Holly could respond, the door of the room opened, and Harry returned.

"My apologies for taking so long," Harry said, then blushed, "I... er... got lost."

"Apology accepted, Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "Come, sit, let us continue. Do you require drink or food?"

"Pumpkin juice?" Harry asked, as he sat back down next to Holly, "We had it for breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron. It was tasty."

Ragnok snapped his fingers and a pitcher and two brass goblets appeared near Harry and Holly. Another pitcher and goblet appeared near Ragnok. The three poured their drinks into their goblets. Whatever was being poured into Ragnok's goblet did not look too appetizing.

"Goblins do not like too much of your human drinks," Ragnok explained, as he noticed the looks on Holly's and Harry's faces when they saw his drink, "Though I will say firewhiskey is a wonderful invention. But to a Goblin, there is nothing better than Grog. However, I am afraid most humans would not like such a drink. Only the most insane human would be able to withstand it."

"A toast to human sanity then," Holly said.

Ragnok chuckled, as did Holly and Harry and the three drank from their goblets.

"Ah! Delicious!" Ragnok said, "Now, onto business. Lord Potter, the investigations concerning the audits and criminal behavior are taking place as we speak. Right now, there are two objectives we will deal with now. Both of you are at the official age for Inheritance tests, and if all goes according to how I believe it will, both of you qualify for Emancipation. That is the first objective. The second objective is a bit more harrowing, when it comes to you Lord Potter."

"Sir?" Harry asked.

"Have you ever wondered how you obtained that scar, Lord Potter?" Ragnok asked.

Holly watched Harry, as he raised a finger to his forehead. He looked curious, but also scared.

"Hagrid, he said this was no ordinary cut," Harry said, "H-he said I got it the night my... my parents died. He said it only comes from..."

"The Darkest of magic, yes," Ragnok said, "You see, Lord Potter, when you entered this room for the first time, I was alerted to some very Dark magic coming from you. I realized it came from that scar. Dark magic can mean many things. Some Dark magic isn't Dark at all, while some Light magic isn't always Light. For example, say I levitated this pitcher over your head and dumped it on you. You would only get wet. Now, the wand-wielders in your Ministry of Magic have labeled the Levitation Charm as Light magic. But... what would happen if I levitated a large boulder over your head and released it?"

"It could kill me," Harry said, with a shiver, "Or at least badly injure me."

"By Ministry definition, that would mean the Levitation Charm is now Dark magic," Ragnok said, "because it is a weapon of destruction. Do you understand my point?"

"Magic is magic," Harry said, "It is neither Light nor Dark. It is... it is all about the intention of the wizard or witch. Magic is not Light or Dark, only the wielder is."

Holly smiled. "Very good, Harry."

"Excellent," Ragnok said, "By that simple explanation, you are wiser than most of the students you will meet at Hogwarts, and even some of its Professors, at least when it comes to the knowledge of Light and Dark magic."

Harry blushed, his cheeks growing red.

"However, there are some exceptions to the rule," Ragnok said, "There is what is called 'inherent magic', whether that means inherently Light or inherently Dark. The Patronus Charm, or shield, which is a weapon against Dementors – a very foul creature – is inherently light because it is made by happy memories, or a happy feeling coming directly from your soul."

"And... inherently Dark magic?" Harry said.

"The Unforgivable Curses," Holly said.

"A common misconception, Miss Evans," Ragnok said, "though the Ministry would deny it as such. The Imperius Curse – we Goblins use it to command our patients' bodies not to feel pain. Doing so numbs their bodies so that the Healers may work without causing further harm. The Torture Curse. While we Goblins do not use it for practical terms, long ago it was used by wand-wielding Healers. When lightly applied, it can restart a person's heart, much like Muggle Healers are known to do."

"And... the Killing Curse?" Holly asked, glancing momentarily at Harry.

"Used on creatures to painlessly end their lives," Ragnok said, "Mainly, it is used solely for sustenance, such as on cows or pigs. The fact that you must feel anger to use such a curse is a myth, a Ministry-made lie so every person who uses the curse on people would see themselves as criminals, thus making it easier to prosecute them for murder. It is, as I said earlier, all about the intention. Now, the curse that is in Lord Potter's scar... well... very few wizards and witches would ever dare speak about it in common conversation. Even fewer would dare to use such a curse. For the desire of maintaining any innocence you have left, Lord Potter, I ask that you do not request what the magic is that was used on your scar."

"Okay," Harry said, "How do we get rid of it?"

Both Holly and Ragnok smiled. "Fortunately, our Goblin Healers know exactly what to do. It is called a transfer ritual. The curse in your scar would be transferred to one of our pigs, which will then be destroyed. After we take care of the Inheritance tests, and Emancipation process, I ask that you see our Healers for a complete check-up, Lord Potter."

"A... complete check-up?" Harry asked; he glanced momentarily at Holly, and she saw the fear in his eyes again; he then looked back at Ragnok. "S-so, my whole body?"

"Lord Potter, I will not lie to my client," Ragnok said, "We goblins believe crimes against children, such as abuse, is unforgivable. When you walked in, I could already tell that you were not at your peak health. Your father, at your age, was at least six inches taller, and due to his exercise as a child, weighed more, mostly through muscle. The Healers will fix some of it straight away, but you will also be asked to take nutrient potions over the next month to place you at your full health. It is a request, of course, Lord Potter. But I suggest you take such a request wisely."

Harry frowned, but nodded. "Okay."

"I can see the fear in your eyes, Harry," Holly said, "None of what happened to you is your fault, okay? Will the Goblins find evidence of abuse?"

Harry looked at Holly with large eyes, his pupils were swimming. Holly immediately reached over and hugged him. Her heart felt like it was breaking when she heard him sobbing softly. She looked toward Ragnok who frowned. Goblins rarely showed emotions toward humans. It was a sign of his dedication toward the Potters that showed such emotion.

"It will all be taken care of, I assure you," Ragnok said.

Two minutes later, Harry backed into his chair, and sniffled quietly. His eyes were red.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"Harry, don't ever apologize for showing emotions," Holly said. "I know this is going to be hard. But you'll get through it. I am here for you."

Harry smiled and nodded. He then cleared his throat. "Can we get on with the Inheritance tests? I will go first."

"Of course, Lord Potter," Ragnok said.

He snapped his fingers, and blank pieces of parchment appeared in front of Harry and Holly. The parchment seemed to sparkle. Then two small knives with runes cut into them appeared between the parchment.

"The Inheritance Test is a Blood ritual," Ragnok said, "The Ministry will tell you that Blood rituals are very Dark. Again, it is all about intentions. Some of these rituals are good, some are done for evil purposes. If a Blood Quill or Blood Blade is ever used on you outside of this bank, it is probably being done for evil purposes. Gringotts is the only location in which all of these types of rituals are legal, and only with a Goblin present. Now, with that said, Lord Potter, you will go first. Take the knife, and slice open your palm on your right hand. Do not fret, the cut will heal when the process is complete. Then drip the blood over the parchment in front of you."

Harry nodded and picked up the knife with his left hand. He opened his right palm, sliced it open with his palm, wincing slightly in the process, and turned his hand over. A few droplets of the coppery blood dripped onto the parchment. Both Holly and Harry watched in awe as the blood seeped into the parchment, then disappeared. Then words began to form, in red ink, or rather, in Harry's blood. Holly began to read the parchment as the words formed.

 **Inheritance Test – Harry James Potter**

 **DOB: 31 July 1980**  
 **Parents: James Charlus Potter and Lily Marie Evans**

 **Official Titles of Lineage:**

 **Ancient and Noble Houses:**  
 **House Potter – direct descendant - father**  
 **House Peverell – direct descendant – father**  
 **House Gryffindor – Heir, direct descendant – father**  
 **House Ravenclaw – Heir, second-in-line – mother**  
 **House Slytherin – Heir, right-by-conquest**  
 **House Gaunt – right-by-conquest**

 **Minor House:**  
 **House Evans – direct descendant – mother – second generation**

Below this, were the vault numbers that Harry now owned, including three of the first five vaults created in Gringotts over a thousand years ago. Obscene amounts of Galleons, and other items were listed with each house. There were also residences and land titles, the most notable was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hogsmeade, and the land surrounding it. According to the parchment, he was fifty-percent owner of the castle and the surrounding grounds. There was also the Gaunt House in Little Hangleton. Holly's eyes widened. Harry owned the house where one of the Horcruxes now resided. This... was very good.

"Congratulations, Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "It seems an Heir of Hogwarts has returned."

"I don't understand," Harry said.

"Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and the last Hufflepuff," Ragnok said, ""these four names are the original founders of Hogwarts. You are a direct heir of Gryffindor, and one of the Heirs of Ravenclaw. Voldemort, also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle was once the Heir of Slytherin. You have been given that title through right-by-conquest, meaning, the night Voldemort disappeared, you earned his titles."

"So... what does this mean?" Harry asked.

"By right of direct Heir of Gryffindor and heir of Slytherin by conquest," Ragnok continued, "you now own fifty-percent of Hogwarts. I have a feeling the Heir of Ravenclaw will be revealed very soon. The heir of Hufflepuff – if my suspicions are correct, the heir is alive and well. They just need to take their own test. Unite the heirs, and you will control all of Hogwarts. As of now, you are only allowed seats on the Board of Governors, though I would suggest a proxy. However, if all four heirs are united, the Board of Governors is no more, since the Heirs make all the decisions. For example, the Heirs would have the right to fire or hire staff, including the Headmaster, since the heirs, if they so choose, would be the rightful Headmaster."

"Harry, do you know what this means?" Holly said, "Albus Dumbledore, the man who claimed to be your guardian, who may have crimes against your house, is the Headmaster. You could ruin him with a few simple words."

Ragnok snapped his fingers and a mahogany box appeared on the table. He opened it, and it revealed a pair of rings.

"This box, Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "was taken directly from your Family Vault. These two rings are Signet Rings. The Potter ring is quite legendary, only four other rings echo its power. The Potter ring, and the rings of the Heirs of Hogwarts, have been said to speak to their heirs through voices of their ancestors."

"You mean... my father will talk to me through the ring?" Harry asked.

Holly's eyes widened as she looked from Harry to Ragnok.

The Goblin only shrugged. "You may hear your father's voice, but I doubt you will be able to have too many meaningful conversations. Mostly the rings are meant to give you advice concerning your title of Head of your house. The rings also signify your seat in the Wizengamot at the Ministry. You now claim four seats, Lord Potter, and are an heir to a fifth."

It was then that Holly realized Dumbledore's true schemes when it came to Harry. Did Dumbledore possibly believe he would be able to convince Harry to hand over his titles of one of the Heirs of Hogwarts? Officially owning Hogwarts, which had more power than that of Headmaster, as well as all those chairs in the Wizengamot. This was power. Was this one of his end-games? Well, if it was, Holly had two words for the old bastard.

Game over. **  
**  
"Harry," Holly breathed, "Four seats in the Wizengamot is big. You hold twenty percent of the votes at the moment. Uniting the heirs of Hogwarts will give another big percentage. Then think of the alliances of the Potter family."

"Okay," Harry said, "What does that all mean?"

"If I am correct," Holly said, "And if you are able to reunite the alliance that once stood with the House of Potter, you could have control of half of the seats. Given the disagreements between the other half, any law you wanted to make, or break, would probably be done."

"Er... we can discuss this more later," Harry said.

The look in Harry's eyes told Holly that Harry still remembered there was to be a discussion later.

"Of course, Harry," Holly said.

"Very well," Ragnok said, "Lord Potter, once you step foot on Hogwarts lands, you will receive the Gryffindor and Slytherin rings. At the moment, you need to place your Family rings on your hand. You can make both rings blend into one, or keep them as they are. Then when you need to show the ring to someone, just summon the ring to your finger."

"Alright," Harry said.

He picked up the Potter Family ring, then placed it on his ring finger. He placed the Peverell Family ring on his next finger, and the two merged together in a flash of bright white light. Harry's eyes fluttered, as he blinked rapidly. He inhaled and exhaled and his eyes opened. Tears pooled in his eyes.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Holly asked.

"I heard a voice greeting me as Head of the House," Harry said, "I-I think it was my Dad."

Holly felt as if her heart and stomach was in her throat. "Oh...that – that is wonderful, Harry."

"It is your turn, Miss Evans," Ragnok said.

Holly nodded and proceeded to go through the same process Harry had done. As the blood sunk into the parchment and became words, Holly learned toward the table and read:

 **Inheritance Test – Holly Marie Evans**

 **DOB: 30 January 1980**  
 **Parents: Harold Richard Evans and Marie Rose Evans**

 **Official Titles of Lineage:**

 **Ancient and Noble Houses:**  
 **House Ravenclaw – Heir, direct descendant – father**

 **Minor House:**  
 **House Evans – direct descendant – father – second generation**

Holly's eyebrows raised at the names of her fictional parents. The two middle names were the first names of her real parents. Her date of birth was the same month and day, just twenty years later. Quite the pair of coincidences!

There it was. When she had seen that Harry was Ravenclaw Heir through his mother, she knew what her test would show. She was the direct descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw. Somewhere on the Evans side there was a Squib in the family, and before that... magic-users. She wasn't exactly a Muggleborn, even though her grandparents on both side were non-magic users, so according to the Ministry, she was a Muggleborn.

She also owned one of the original five vaults of Gringotts. There was also one property she solely owned, known as Raven's Nest, though it had an unspecified location. Also she was twenty-five percent owner of Hogwarts and the property surrounding it.

"Holly," Harry said, hoarsely, "Are we... family?"

"We'll discuss that later, Harry," Holly said.

Harry sighed and nodded. She knew what he was thinking. _'We better'._

"My suspicions were correct Miss Evans, or should I say Lady Ravenclaw," Ragnok said, "You are the direct heir of Rowena Ravenclaw, but only because you were born first. As I told Lord Potter, you will receive your ring the moment you arrive on Hogwarts property."

"Do you know where... Raven's Nest is?" Holly asked.

"The exact location is unknown," Ragnok said, "But it is rumored the first Lady Ravenclaw owned property in Wales. The property could be a castle, or simply a hidden cottage in a forest, it is unknown. But it was rumored that she owned an extensive library of books, some of which has not been seen in centuries. The Ravenclaw Vault, much like the other four original Vaults of Gringotts have not been opened in many centuries. But it is known her books were not placed in the Vault. She had to have placed them somewhere, probably Raven's Nest. Perhaps there is a deed, even a Portkey to the location inside the Vault. I do not know. I do know that Harry's grandfather and great-grandfather were aware of the vault, but they had no desire to open it."

"They never wanted anything to do with Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"Quarter ownership of Hogwarts does not grant many rights, Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "They could have had a hereditary seat on the Board of Governors, but that is mainly it. Even three-fourths ownership between the two of you does not grant full permission at Hogwarts. If one person was completely responsible for all of Hogwarts – well, absolutely power corrupts absolutely, as the humans say. If united, I imagine the two of you, and the Heir of Hufflepuff could make good decisions and would not corrupt such power."

 _Sounds like that is something Dumbledore would want for himself. Well, he isn't going to get it!_

"As I stated to Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "the same goes for you, Lady Ravenclaw. You now have a seat on the Wizengamot. However given your age, I suggest the both of you find a Proxy for your seats – perhaps you could even combine all your seats into one for now. The pair of you seem to have a healthy friendship just beginning to form, and that is always a good sign of a powerful and fruitful alliance."

Holly smiled and Harry blushed as he lowered his head.

"Through the right of Inheritance, you have officially claimed your titles of Heirs or Heads of Ancient Houses," Ragnok said. "Claiming such titles gives you the right of legal Emancipation. What does this mean? Simply, the two of you are now seen as adults. When you receive your wands, the Trace will be automatically removed and you can use magic legally outside Hogwarts, though you would still be in trouble if you used it in front of a Muggle who does not know about our world. Technically, you now have no need for a Magical or Official Guardian, though given your age, I would suggest finding what is usually known as a Mentor. A Mentor is a name for a Guardian of an Emancipated witch or wizard under the age of 17. A Mentor – while they have no legal right to be your guardian – is still seen as an authority figure in your life."

"I think we can come up with somebody," Holly said. "Harry, if your godfather is released soon, he would be an excellent Mentor, I am sure."

Harry nodded and smiled.

"Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "From now on, there is no legal right for you to remain a ward of your relatives. You can now live wherever you wish. If I may make a suggestion, your family house is Potter Manor. You lived there as a wee baby before your parents moved to Godric's Hollow. It has extensive grounds and the Manor is large and comfortable enough. I think you'll find it an excellent residence."

Harry nodded shyly. "That sounds brilliant. If I choose to go there – err – will you go with me, Holly?"

Holly could have hugged him again. "Of course! It sounds like a good place for us to have our discussion. Seems private enough. I was hoping to do some shopping with you – school stuff, and well, you need some new clothes. So after we leave here, we can go shopping, then go to Potter Manor."

"Okay," Harry said.

"I will have the Portkey ready for you by the time you leave, Lord Potter," Ragnok said. "If I may suggest, we should now meet with the Goblin Healers. By the time you are finished there, the investigations will surely be finished, and we can conclude our lengthy business after the results, with a visit to the Vaults if you so desire.."

"Alright," Harry said. "Er... can Holly go with me to the Healer?"

"My apologies, Lord Potter, I am afraid not," Ragnok said. "You see, the process you will be going through is inside a Time Seal. For example, you could be in there for what seems to you as many hours, and it will only be a half-hour to the outside world. It will have no affect to your age at all. Also, the process to remove the curse from your scar may be dangerous for those who are not taking part in it."

Harry frowned and looked at Holly. She took his nearest hand in one of hers and squeezed it reassuringly.

"I will be waiting for you when you are finished," Holly said. "You will be fine, I assure you."

Harry squeezed Holly's hand and smiled. "Alright. Let's go."

"Anything you need while we are gone, Lady Ravenclaw?" Ragnok asked.

"Quill, parchment, ink," Holly said, "Some refreshments as well, if you will, Keeper Ragnok."

Ragnok snapped his fingers, and the requested items, and refreshments including a salad and some various fruits, appeared on the table.

"We shall return in half-an-hour outside time," Ragnok said. "Oh, that letter you received earlier – I think this is a good time to read it."

"Yes, sir," Holly said.

Harry and Ragnok then left the room. Holly sighed and relaxed in her chair. She looked up at the clock on the wall to her left, and saw that it was only now nearing eleven-o-clock.

 _Two hours since I arrived in my new form. Can it really have only been that short of time? Seems like we have been here forever!_

Holly wondered where Hagrid was now. She hoped the Confundus Charm she placed on him wouldn't allow him to return to Hogwarts, at least until after she and Harry left Diagon Alley. She knew Dumbledore had asked Hagrid to take Harry on his shopping trip. The old bastard was probably sitting on his office, waiting for Hagrid to return with a report. She could only imagine how Dumbledore would react when Hagrid reported that he had left Harry in Gringotts with an unknown chaperone who had promised to take Harry shopping. He would probably go insane!

Holly sighed and eyed the scroll of parchment which she knew was a letter from Death. She grabbed a handful of green grapes from a bowl, and popped a few in her mouth. Relishing the taste, she unrolled the scroll and began to read it.

 _Dearest Holly,_

 _I begin with an apology. You must have been shocked to find out that Keeper Ragnok had discovered your secret identity! I apologize for telling him. Unfortunately, I needed him to know. Well, it could have been any Goblin, but Ragnok is a good Goblin – he is trustworthy, and will assist you and young Harry. But, hey, at least it sparked your conversation about Horcruxes, and now Ragnok, and in essence, the Goblin Nation, will know. They will be a big help, I assure you._

 _You're welcome._

 _Being an all powerful – well, being, I know exactly what will happen by the time you read this letter. You and Harry have taken your Inheritance tests. You now know you are three of the four heirs of Hogwarts. You are probably wondering if there is an Heir of Hufflepuff. My answer is... yes! Now, I could be evil, and not tell you who it is, but the heir is someone whom we discussed at the train station. Drum roll... please?_

 _The heir of Hufflepuff is... Neville Longbottom!_

 _That is right, your godson is the Heir of Hufflepuff. So really, when it comes to the heirs, it is all in the family! Coincidence, that! Hopefully by the time you reach Hogwarts, you will be swell chums with the Heir of Hufflepuff, and the three Heirs will have returned in official alliance. Work on that, Holly. It will work in your favor if you do._

 _Now, at Hogwarts, there is a collection of rooms known as the Founders Quarters. Unfortunately, they will not open until you have officially announced yourself to Hogwarts staff and students as the Heirs of Hogwarts. I would not suggest you do it right away, but wait for a time in which you will gain much by the surprise of the announcement._

 _Right now, if the schedule goes correctly, Harry is getting checked up on by the Goblin Healers, and soon the hunt for the Horcruxes will begin. Holly, my dear, you will not like what the results of the Healers tests will show. Just remember to leave me some pieces of your sister and her husband when you and the Goblins are finished with them. I want my fun too._

 _Speaking of unhappy results, I assume the audit will take place very soon, and some Dark secrets will be discovered! Around that time, Harry will officially find out about the betrothal contract which isn't official, as well as the crimes of the Weasleys. Remember dear, 'sins of the mother'. However, I must ask you to wait to punish her too badly. Oh, give the goblins permission to have their fun, I welcome that. However, for yours and Harry's personal revenge I ask that you wait until your Second Year at Hogwarts. You will know exactly when to punish Molly Weasley. She will already be reeling from the results of the audit that she won't be prepared for what will happen later! I will give you more clues about Second Year later!_

 _Speaking of clues. Here are your clues for events happening in the next year:_

 _Old Bastard – Peverell Thief_  
 _Duel With Honor!_  
 _My Guardian hates music_  
 _Stop The Stuttering Squirrel_  
 _Forbidden Forest Is Forbidden! Even in Detentions!_  
 _Philosophy is a lie!_

 _Hopefully you'll be able to figure out these hints in time to stop or interfere with certain events going on this year. One more clue for you, though this isn't too life-changing. A pair of twin pranksters is now in possession of a certain Map. They are fans of the Marauders. A certain conversation with them about your old friends will go a long way._

 _Two more important pieces of information. The first is this: be wary of Legilimency users everywhere, especially Hogwarts. You know of whom I mean. Yes, you could teach Harry Occlumency, but I do not know if he will learn enough before you reach Hogwarts. My only suggestion is to use your brain and solve this problem. What would Lily Potter do?_

 _Also, Dumbledore had a few instruments which kept an eye on your son, his health, his magical core, his location, and other certain tidbits about him. These instruments could be quite a nuisance for you. I am going to give you a reward, but there will be consequences because of it. Your reward is thus: Dumbledore will be compelled to ignore the instruments until you and Harry leave Diagon Alley. At that moment, the instruments will be destroyed – normally they would have been destroyed when Harry became Emancipated. But their destruction will come at the same time Hagrid arrives in Dumbledore's office. That is your reward. The consequence: the result of this incident will be that Dumbledore will be on the prowl. I think you know what that means._

 _Fun for all! Especially me._

 _TTFN – Ta Ta For Now_

 _Death_

Holly sat there stunned as she read the letter. She blinked a few times, then decided she needed a reread. Her mind was filled with thoughts as she read through the letter again.

The explanation of Ragnok's knowledge of her secret identity wasn't much of a surprise. And it did spark the much-needed conversation about Horcruxes. So no big deal there.

Holly was also surprised that the son of Frank and Alice Longbottom was the Heir of Hufflepuff. But it was a welcome surprise. From the way Death had described Neville, it seemed the boy needed lots of guidance and encouragement. Revealing to him that he was the Heir of Hufflepuff, and quarter owner of the school he was about to attend, seemed to be a good start. Holly stored these thoughts for later. She had already planned on helping Harry write letters to the Longbottoms, as well as the Bones and Lovegoods, in order to begin the group of friends and allies. Hopefully the families would all accept invitations to Potter Manor for meetings and an important discussion.

The news about the Founders Quarters was another welcomed surprise. She wondered what Death meant by waiting for the right time. Revealing the Heirs' return would begin a revolution at Hogwarts, that started with the downfall of the old bastard. Waiting for the right time – which could be soon or a long time from now, she did not know! - to begin his demise would be a hardship. She just hoped the answers would come soon.

Holly frowned at the mention of Petunia and Vernon. This meant very bad things when it came to the results of Harry's check-up. She was really dreading finding out the results. However, when it came to the results of the audit, she already knew what most of the results would be. However the mention of Molly Weasley was a surprise. Waiting to punish her until the right time – which had something to do with their second year. She didn't know what to do with that. However, allowing the Goblins to exact their own punishment did sound very fun. As long as Holly got to have her say in it as well.

The cryptic clues Death had provided were just that... cryptic. It seemed that the clues would only be answered with a few more questions. She just had to wait for those questions. The first clue, however, she had a feeling she already knew what that was. But she would wait until the right time to find out if she was correct.  
 _  
_The clue about the Marauder's Map was easy to figure out. It seemed that a pair of students had found the map. Holly recalled how James had said that the map had been confiscated by Filch in their seventh year. With a bit of persuasion to these students, the Map could easily return to its rightful owner – or rather, son of the owner.

Then there was the Legilimency and Occlumency problem. Yes, what _would_ Lily Potter do? Holly then smiled almost malevolently. Lily Potter was a Charms Master, almost as good as Filius Flitwick. Holly was just as good. She knew _exactly_ what she would do. It would be an excellent defense, capable of guarding herself, Harry, and any group of friends they made!

The last piece of information given by Death pissed Holly off! How dare the old bastard monitor Harry! Heath monitors, tracking charms, and who knew what else! All so he could keep an eye on Harry and make sure he was kept prisoner with Petunia. Dumbledore knew of the abuse! Of course he did, he wanted Harry to be weak, friendless, and yearning for a mentor like Dumbledore by the time he reached Hogwarts. Holly was just thankful the damnable contraptions would be destroyed. She smiled malevolently at the thought. Dumbledore would wreak hell trying to find out what happened, while also trying to locate Harry.

By that time, Harry would be resting comfortably in Potter Manor. Holly frowned at a sudden thought, as her fears returned. Hopefully Harry would accept her. He needed to begin a bit of training as well as forming his friendships and alliances. They only had a month to prepare before they would go to Hogwarts. No time could be wasted.

She could only hope and pray that the discussion went well.

 _Twenty minutes later..._

Ragnok The Sixth, Vault Keeper, son of the current King of the Goblins, Ragnok The Fifth, was feeling a different range of emotions.

This was already bizarre in itself. Goblins rarely ever show emotions. They are a Warrior Race first and foremost. They are very fierce, and very powerful in mind, body, and spirit. They believe Honor, Truth and Justice were important above all else. They also liked to think themselves as that of Masters of the wand-wielders. Not in the master-servant ideal, however. Just the ideal that they consider themselves far more powerful than the wand-wielders.

They are the ones in control of the wand-wielders' gold, jewels and precious valuables that were kept safe and guarded in the many Vaults beneath the Goblin Nation. They are also in control of Inheritance tests, official Will readings, and other rituals and ceremonies of the like. It is only Goblins who have the legal right to use Blood rituals, due to the fact that they are honorable in their intentions.

Some of the 'revolts' as coined by the Ministry of Magic, and the history books (usually approved by the Ministry before being published) assume that such events were started due to Goblins dishonoring humans. This is a lie. The revolts were started when power-hungry Ministry officials of high ranks accused the Goblins of dishonor and lost their head for such an insult. The Ministry did not like such violence, nor the fact that one of their own was cut down by a Goblin.

But, in the past decades, they have learned it is best just to not provoke violence, so as not to start another rebellion. The Goblin Liaison Department was only created after the Ministry of Magic learned their lesson not to provoke the Goblins, but to yearn for peace. Only the calmest of Ministry workers have jobs in the Goblin Liaison Department. A good percentage of the Ministry have foul opinions of the Goblins, and it is often that such individuals are asked to allow their assistants to retrieve their valuables from Gringotts, otherwise they could provoke and incite another revolt.

The Goblins however are not entirely innocent in these matters. They could, if they wanted to, start another revolution against the wand-wielders and could easily wipe them out, or just go hide underground forever, never allowing the wand-wielders to reclaim their gold or precious valuables. But they were content with being the masters of the Bank. Money is power, as humans like to say. The more gold you have, the more power you have. At least ninety percent of Britain's gold – at least that which was claimed by wand-wielders - was right there beneath Gringotts. That, by human definition, makes the Goblins powerful.

Back to the original point: a Goblin who showed emotions was a rare entity. Emotions usually were a sign of weakness. Goblins were not weak.

Therefore, Ragnok the Sixth, future Heir to the Goblin throne, was rather surprised he was showing such emotion. But it was for good reason. Lord Harry James Potter was the last descendant of one of the greatest Families Ragnok had ever met. Ragnok had lived for many years, so many that he had been introduced to Charlus Potter's own father, Harold, when the lad was seven years old!

Harry reminded Ragnok of his namesake. Both were curious boys, very smart when they learned how to show it, and they both had promising futures. However the similarities stopped there, and this made Ragnok angry. Harry Potter had been raised cruelly, had suffered an abusive childhood. Ragnok didn't yet know the extent of such abuse, but once the Healers were finished, he knew those revelations would present themselves.

The Horcrux Revelation also pissed Ragnok off. The objects of inherent Dark magic were abominations! It was said that even Death feared such objects! All Goblins believed in the entity known as Death, therefore while he was quite shocked, Ragnok easily believed that the letter he received had been written by Death itself. The fact that the word Horcrux was in Death's letter shocked Ragnok. The further revelations by Holly Evans, formerly known as Lily Marie Evans Potter, angered and pissed off Ragnok. He was not angry at the Lady Ravenclaw, but the revelations she had presented. That there was a Horcrux in Harry Potter's body was horrible! That there was a Horcrux in their very bank was just as bad!

Usually, Goblins didn't care for the affairs of wand-wielders, but that did not mean they didn't keep an eye and ear out for possible threats to their Nation. They knew who were followers of Voldemort, even if many of those followers had gotten off clean with the ridiculous excuse of being under the Imperius Curse. Stupid Ministry believing such a thing! The fact that Goblin gold was being used as bribes to keep such criminals from the justice they deserved made the Goblins angry at the Ministry!

But now, here was the perfect excuse to wrought that justice. There would soon be proof that a Horcrux was in one of their precious vaults used by one of Voldemort's followers. Since they didn't know exactly where it was, all of Voldemort's followers' vaults would have to be searched, and then the justice they deserved would be wrought... at least when it came to their gold and precious valuables. Ragnok smiled at the thought... all it would take was one Goblin's Council session and things would get rolling!

Ragnok was currently in his office pondering such thoughts when there was a knock on the door. He barked out an order, and the door opened. Bogrod, one of Ragnok's assistants who was hoping to soon become a Vault Keeper himself, walked into the room carrying folders.

"Ah, Bogrod," Ragnok said, "Has Lord Potter's appointment finished?"

"Not yet," Bogrod said, "But the Time Seal should be done at any moment!"

"Excellent," Ragnok said, "What have you brought to me?"

"The audit results," Bogrod said, a grim look on his face, "We have discovered nearly a decade of criminal behavior! I would have waited to show you this, until you were back in your meeting with your client, but this is important, and needed direct consultation!"

He walked over to Ragnok's desk and laid down a specific piece of parchment, then set the rest of the folders on the desk. Ragnok picked up the parchment and read through it. He narrowed his eyes at what he found.

"Is this confirmed?" Ragnok asked, looking back at Bogrod.

"Yes," Bogrod said, "Second and third checks just to be sure."

Ragnok sighed, a deep gurgle. "Then it seems we have a traitor in our midst! A Goblin has been granting wand-wielders access to my client's vault without my permission or knowledge! For nearly a decade! How?!"

"I-I do not know, Keeper Ragnok," Bogrod said, "Unfortunately we do not know who it is either."

"There is an easy way to find out whom," Ragnok said, "Due to one of the letters I will be writing, I believe this particular wand-wielder will probably be coming into Gringotts before the day ends. In fact I am almost sure he will be coming. Easy enough bait. If I am correct, they will be meeting with the traitor. Bogrod, request a meeting with my father, ask him that I requested a Goblin Council meeting. There is more than one thing that needs to be discussed concerning revelations I have discovered today. I request the Council meeting shortly after my current clients leave the bank."

"Yes, sir!" Bogrod said, bowing slightly. "Anything else sir?"

"Hmm," Ragnok said, "There is one particular name here... Weasley. If memory serves correctly, isn't there a Weasley working for our bank in Egypt?"

"I'd have to check again, but I believe so," Bogrod said, "I remember there was talk amongst Goblins a few years ago about a promising young man applying for Curse Breaker. He was a strong student at Hogwarts, with NEWTS in all the right subjects. Gringotts London wanted him fiercely, but all he wanted to do was leave England. Something about wanting to get away from his demanding mother."

Ragnok raised an eyebrow. "Yes, his mother. Likely the very same woman mentioned here. Well, how about we bring the young man home? Demand he be transferred back here to London, but make it look like a request. I want him here by tomorrow at the latest, and I want to be the one he speaks to first! Go now."

"I know just what to say!" Bogrod repeated. "By your leave."

Ragnok nodded and Bogrod turned and left. Ragnok sighed and tapped his long bony fingers on his desk. So many revelations and changes coming, all simply because Harry Potter walked into the bank. Changes that could have happened many years ago, if it wasn't for certain individuals.

Ragnok stood, grabbed the folders, and walked out of the room, his destination the Time Seal. He had a meeting with the clients to finish, then a Council meeting, and after that... who knew! Today already promised to be a very long, but interesting day!

* * *

 _Five minutes later..._

Holly Evans was in the midst of writing down a list of things she needed to add to the massive shopping list, when the door opened again. She turned her head so fast, she cricked her neck, and saw Harry walk in followed by Ragnok. She jumped out of her chair and walked over to Harry.

She was shocked at the change she saw in him. He looked at least two inches taller, and he looked quite a bit more healthier! His hair, although the same length, was thicker and healthier as well. Beneath his fringe, Holly spied the lightning-bolt-shaped scar. However, it was barely noticeable, in fact. A lot thinner than it had been.

"How do you feel?" Holly asked.

"Fine," Harry said, "Good actually. Better than I have felt in a long time. The Goblin Healers did quite a bit in there."

"Yes, but the process is not yet finished," Ragnok said, "By the time you leave, you will receive a package of nutrient potions required to bring you to full health and expected height and weight. There will also be other medicines and potions in the package for your full treatment as well."

"Yes, the Healers told me," Harry said, "I remember the instructions."

"Excellent," Ragnok said. "Lord Potter, if I may, I need to speak in private to Lady Ravenclaw for a moment."

"It is fine, sir," Harry said, "I need to – err – relieve myself again. The potions are going through me."

"As is expected," Ragnok said, "Take your time."

Harry nodded and left the room. Holly smiled, a wide grin crossing her face, as she looked back at Ragnok.

"He looks... excellent," she said, "He even sounds more confident."

"Yes," Ragnok said, "It seemed the Horcrux had been playing with his emotions. I was not present for the transfer ritual, but there is already rumors of such an event going around the Nation. Stories of an evil possessed pig facing battle with two Goblins! An excellent tale, one for the legends!"

Ragnok chuckled and Holly did so as well. She then stopped when Ragnok sobered.

"Unfortunately," he said, "there may be some side-effects for Harry down the road."

"Side-effects?" Holly asked, fear twisting her insides, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, the Healers promised me the Horcrux is completely gone, I assure you," Ragnok said, "However, Harry may find he still has some connections to Tom Marvolo Riddle. He may, at some point in time, feel it if Riddle is emotional. The same can be said in the reverse. If Harry is exceedingly happy or shows other emotions as such in the extreme, Riddle may feel it as well."

"Is there a way to prevent this from happening?" Holly asked.

"Yes," Ragnok said, "I believe your people call it Occlumency. A well-learned Occlumens can calm themselves down quickly, or prevent and block such emotions, as well as interference from others."

"I already have plans for such practices for Harry," Holly said. "Some of which may be revolutionary!"

"I look forward to seeing the outcome," Ragnok said; he then sighed, "I'm afraid the Healers gave me some grim information from the results. Here, see for yourself."

Ragnok handed a creme-colored folder to Holly, who opened it, and read through the results. She felt tears come to her eyes and fall down her cheeks. Evidence of extreme malnutrition to the point where Harry didn't have much to eat for long periods at a time, days or more. But that was only the tip of the beanpole. Evidence of broken bones, starting with a broken arm at the age of four. Evidence that such an injury was not treated for days. More similar injuries over the years as well. Also there had been scars on his back, legs, and buttocks which showed signs of being beaten and whipped with a belt many times. The scarring had been mostly healed, while potions and lathers supplied by the Goblins would heal the rest of the scars over the next month. At the very least, while there were signs of emotional, mental and physical abuse, there was no signs of sexual abuse.

Holly wept as she closed the folder. She could not bear to read more. "Oh, Merlin, Harry."

"Rest assured his former guardians will face justice," Ragnok said, then frowned, "However, I do know that you were once close with Petunia Dursley."

"It does not matter," Holly said, "Petunia thinks Lily is dead, she does not need to think otherwise. Harry will never have to deal with her and that monster of a husband of hers ever again. Whatever Goblin justice calls for in a case like this... do whatever you have to do."

"It will be done," Ragnok said, "Muggle cases are a bit tetchy, but we will work with Madam Bones on this one. Justice will be brought, you have my word, Lady Ravenclaw."

"A Goblin's word is the best I can receive, Keeper Ragnok," Holly said, "Thank you. There may come a moment when I wish to deal with the Dursleys before their final justice, but right now, I can't even think about them if I want to get through the rest of the day."

"I understand," Ragnok said, "Also, I will not speak of this to Harry that you know the results of the check-up. But only because I know you will speak to him about it yourself during your upcoming discussion."

"Yes," Holly said, "Physically, Harry is already on his way to being healthy. But he will need me to help him through the other traumas he faced."

"I wish you the best of luck," Ragnok said.

At that moment, Harry returned, and the three sat back down at the table.

"Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "I am happy to inform you that the Dark manifestation that was in your scar is no longer there. We have evidence of other such manifestations, and I assure you, they will all be destroyed."

"You mean... things like what happened to that pig?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Ragnok said, "Rest assured we will find them all."

He glanced at Holly momentarily, who nodded, then he looked back at Harry.

"We have evidence that one of these... objects is somewhere in our Vaults in this very bank," Ragnok said, "All evidence points to it being in a vault loaned to one of the followers of the same evil wizard who killed your parents."

"Voldemort," Harry said, then winced, "Hagrid told me. Sorry, I mean You-Know-Who. He also told me are afraid to say his name."

"Oh, tosh!" Holly said, waving a hand dismissively. "The only reason people are scared to say his name is because of an old Taboo. I know that during the Great War, Voldemort put a Taboo on his name, so people would learn to fear it."

"Yes, and unfortunately it has lingered even now," Ragnok said, "Speak the name if you wish, Lord Potter. It shows your strength. Fear of a name, only brings fear of the thing itself. Do not fear such a creature, Lord Potter. He can be defeated."

"So he really is still out there?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yes," Ragnok said, "These Dark manifestations keep him alive, however he is only a spirit right now. Once these objects are gone, as I said, he can be defeated."

Harry nodded. "Good luck in your quest to find these things, then."

"Thank you," Ragnok said. "As I was saying there is evidence that one of these things is in a Vault loaned by one of Voldemort's followers. I assure you that soon we will search for it, and when we find it, justice will be wrought on all of his followers for daring to leave such an abomination here."

Holly grinned, almost malevolently. It seemed there were going to be much change in the wizarding world in the near future.

"The Ministry won't like this, you know," Holly said.

"I am aware of this," Ragnok said, "We will be ready for such things. Moving on..." He brought a folder toward him and opened it. "Lord Potter, we have the result of the audit of your Vaults. I begin with my deepest apologies from the Goblin Nation itself. It appears from the investigation, that there is a Goblin traitor in this bank. Someone working here has been allowing certain wand-wielders to take money out of your Vault without my permission."

"Who is this traitor?" Harry asked.

"We do not know," Ragnok said, "But we have ways to find out. Hopefully by the time Gringotts closes its doors for the evening we will know who we are dealing with."

"How much money have they stolen?" Holly asked.

"Fortunately, the Potter Family Vault can only be opened by a Potter or by someone who is married to a Potter," Ragnok said, then grinned when Harry blushed; then his face turned to a scowl again. "The only Vault that could be opened was Harry's Trust Vault. Unfortunately, whoever has been stealing money knows exactly how to have done so without my knowledge. You see, the Trust Vault is supposed to have a certain total amount of money in it on a certain date. That total on that date will always be fifteen-thousand galleons. To many wizards, this is a lot of money in itself. To a student, you shouldn't even need to use more than say... fifty to seventy-five percent of the money in the Trust Vault per year."

"But I never knew about the Vault until today," Harry said, "So none of the money should have been taken."

"That is where it gets complicated," Ragnok said. "You see, if it had only been me who had entrance to your vault, only one individual would have received some of the money in the vault, but only so it can be used on you."

"Harry's guardians," Holly said.

"The Dursleys?" Harry said, "They never used money on me! I had Dudley's second-hand clothes! I didn't have toys or presents! Oh, then that means..."

"They were using that money for themselves – in essence, stealing from you," Ragnok said, "Indeed. However, they did not receive fifteen thousand galleons a year. They only received about five thousand, which was then turned into Muggle money. However, it seemed fifteen-thousand galleons was the exact total being taken out each year."

"So," Harry said, "Who else took my money each year?"

"According to the audit results," Ragnok said, "There were two others. Of the remaining ten-thousand galleons each year, they were split two-ways – five-thousand galleons each went to Albus Dumbledore and Molly Weasley, though she used her old vault, instead of the Weasley Family Vault. The latter was only discovered in further investigation. It seems on the exact date your Vault updates each year, this was the same date that the money was transferred to Molly Weasley's old vault."

"I don't even know either Dumbledore or this Molly Weasley!" Harry said. "I mean, I know you said Dumbledore was posing as my magical guardian, and that he is the Headmaster, but Weasley...?"

"Unfortunately it seems they had plans to get to know you," Ragnok said, "About a week after your parents were killed, a certain contract came into existence. A contract I did not know about until today."

He set the contract in front of Harry, and he and Holly looked at it.

 **Betrothal Contract**

 **Date of Contract: 5 November 1981**

 **Husband: Harry James Potter**  
 **Wife: Ginny Molly Weasley**

 **To be enacted by August 11th, 1998 (Ginny Weasley's seventeenth birthday).  
Contract specifics:  
Male Heir (1)  
Bride Price: G50,000**

 **Witness: Molly Weasley (mother – Ginny)**  
 **Witness: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (magical guardian – Harry)**

"What – Betrothal – Husband and wife!" Harry spluttered.

"If this Betrothal Contract was official," Ragnok said, "It would mean you and Miss Ginny Weasley would be engaged to be married; she would be your fiancee."

"But I've never met her!" Harry exclaimed, indignantly.

"Harry," Holly said, "The contract was never official. It was broken the very same day it was made. The date is quite funny, however. November the Fifth. On the anniversary of a famous historical betrayal, another betrayal was wrought."

"So... I'm not engaged?" Harry asked, looking quite relieved.

"As proven earlier by your father's Will," Ragnok said, "Albus Dumbledore was not your magical guardian. Therefore, his signature is not official, so you are not officially part of the contract. It does give point to the evidence of where the stolen Galleons went to however. Dumbledore stole G5000 a year for himself, and believing that he was paying the Bride Price in the contract, paid G5000 a year, for these past ten years, to Molly Weasley. You can void and destroy it right now if you wish. However, I would not suggest its destruction at this precise moment. You see, if you were to destroy the contract this very minute, Molly Weasley and Albus Dumbledore would immediately get notices about doing so – due to our automatic bank notice service; even I cannot block it. Putting it off, however, until the right moment, would be a very good idea."

"And... when is the right moment?" Harry asked.

"Well, that is where it gets interesting," Ragnok said. "You see, Dumbledore is to be expected to make his way into the bank by this evening. He will have some urgent appointments soon. It will be then that he will probably meet with the traitor, and we can discover who this traitor is. Also, Ginny Weasley's eldest brother William, he is a Curse Breaker at our bank in Egypt. He is being transferred here, and will arrive at the very latest by tomorrow. If his mother were to discover the broken contract, she may alert William. However, I wish to speak to William first to see if he has knowledge in any part of this contract."

"I see what you mean," Holly said, "Harry, Ginny Weasley was but a little baby when the contract was made. She might not even know of it yet. Also, all this money was placed in a private vault that most of the Weasleys didn't know of."

"I see what you're saying," Harry said. "Molly's husband or children may not know of her criminal behavior."

"I know all about the Weasleys," Ragnok said, "They have seven children – the two oldest are out of Hogwarts, the second oldest just leaving this past June. They currently have three children in Hogwarts, and a fourth will be your classmate. Then Ginny, the youngest, will go next year. Aside from this G5000 a year, the Weasleys are a poor family. Each time they visit their Family Vault, they take all their money with them, and it isn't much. I imagine much of that G50,000 that was taken from you has gone back to Albus Dumbledore and Hogwarts to pay for the children's tuition."

Harry sighed. "If I were to claim all that money back, Molly's innocent children would probably be kicked out of Hogwarts for not paying tuition."

"Yes," Ragnok said. "But I have a suggestion. Molly Weasley's private vault still has a good percentage of your money in it. All of that, minus the expected tuition money for the children, I suggest be claimed. Then the rest will be reclaimed later. When you take your rightful place as owners of Hogwarts, give the innocent children scholarships. By then, they will know of their mother's crimes, and your generosity could make them friendly towards you."

Harry frowned, then looked at Holly for advice. She pondered this for a moment. Most of the Weasley children were indeed innocent. Ron and Ginny were the two questionable ones.

 _By the time we offer the scholarships, their true colors will probably be shown. Ron will likely be the bad apple, and his lack of tuition could fit whatever justice will come his way. Ginny is fifty-fifty. If she's guilty, she goes the same way. If she's innocent, she'll get a scholarship. Hmm... that could work._

"I agree, Harry," Holly said, "Children should not be punished for the sins of their mother, only for their own sins."

Harry nodded and looked at Ragnok. "Your plan is fruitful. Let it happen."

"Very well," Ragnok said, "In a few days time, all the money owed to you from the Dursleys, Molly Weasley, and Albus Dumbledore will be returned to you. This will give us enough time to continue our investigations. You have already asked for a meeting with Amelia Bones, perhaps here on neutral ground. I may also request a meeting with William Weasley."

"Alright," Harry said.

"Excellent," Ragnok said. "Expect a letter with request for meeting to come in the next couple of days. One last thing, and then this fruitful and eventful meeting is at an end, then we can go to your Vaults. Lord Potter, Lady Ravenclaw, due to the Revelations the two of you have brought forth from today's meeting, and the crimes against yourself Lord Potter, the Goblin Nation feels that we owe you more than an apology. You see, Lord Potter, my full name is Ragnok the Sixth. I am the son of the current King of the Goblins and Heir to the throne."

"You're... the future King of the Goblins?" Harry asked, amazed.

Holly had already known about this, so she wasn't surprised.

"Indeed," Ragnok smiled, "It doesn't mean much now, but sometimes I get privileges. Such as this one. I only need official confirmation for this, but to the both of you for the events of today, I want to officially name you as Friends of the Nation. If you have any need for us to help you in the future, all you need is to ask. Also, if you ever need security, some of our Goblin Warriors will be on hand to assist you."

"I... I don't know what to say," Harry said, blush overwhelming his face. "Er... thank you, Keeper Ragnok. This is an honor. I hope I can call you a friend as well."

"The same can be said from me, Keeper Ragnok," Holly said.

Ragnok smiled. "I am proud to give you such a title. It is not often we hand these titles out to someone. I believe the last to receive such titles were Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. Now, I believe the time is ripe, if you wish, to take you to your Vaults. Which Vaults would you like to visit?"

Harry shuddered slightly and blinked rapidly. "Er... my ring told me to shut down my Trust Vault and that I should just go to my Family Vault."

"It will be done," Ragnok said. "At the moment, I would not suggest opening the Founder's Vaults. Anyway, you will need the rings you'll claim at Hogwarts to open them. However, Lady Ravenclaw, I am to inform you that the Evans Vault you own is more or less a Trust Vault. G15,000 from Ravenclaw vault will be transferred each year to the Evans Vault."

"Alright," Holly said, "I suppose I will go to that vault then. However, I do not have a key."

"No big issue," Ragnok said; he snapped his fingers and what appeared to be a very worn bronze bar appeared on the table. A drop of your blood will create a key from a section of this bar. Lord Potter, as only the bloodline of the Potters, or those who are married to a Potter Heir can open your vault, a Key is not needed."

"Alright," Harry said, nodding.

Holly, having done this before in her old life, knew what to do. She pressed a finger to the bronze bar, and, after a small pinprick, a section of it melted away, revealing a key. Her finger was healed by the time she picked up the key.

"Excellent," Ragnok said, "To the Vaults! First, however, I must go get the Clangers. I hope the two of you are ready to meet a Dragon!"

Harry grinned. "Wicked!"

"I never know," Harry called, over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"

"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," Holly joked, though she wasn't sure if Harry heard her; he was whooping happily, just as loud as she was.

She always loved the one-speed journey on the tracks in the depths of Gringotts. It reminded her of roller coasters at the various fun parks she had been on in her life. The beautifully-colored rocky walls, bright flickering lanterns and various other sights and sounds – including distant roars of dragons! – were just as entertaining as the sights and sounds of roller coasters in fun parks.

Left, right, right again, left again, the turns were so random, it was difficult to know which way they were going. This, of course, was intentional. Most thieves who dared to venture into the Vaults usually never made it out. There had not been one report of theft from the Vaults that Holly could remember.

Suddenly, the cart came to a grinding stop.

"The Evans Vault, Lady Ravenclaw," Ragnok stated in a very businesslike tone, "Key please."

"Stay in the cart, Harry, and don't move a muscle," Holly said, in a very motherly tone, after handing Ragnok her key, "I will be right back then we will go to your vault."

"Alright," Harry said.

Holly carefully stepped out of the cart and onto the rocky surface of the cavernous floor. She followed Ragnok to the Vault, and watched as the Goblin ran a finger down the crack in the center of the door. A keyhole appeared soon after, and Ragnok inserted the key, turned it, then removed it, and returned the key to Holly. The large metal door opened, revealing the innards it guarded. The Evans Vault, in comparison to many of the other Vaults in Gringotts, was quite small. As Ragnok had stated, it was simply a Trust Vault, which meant it only held money. Piles of Galleons towered over the smaller pile of Sickles and Knuts.

"As I said earlier," Ragnok said, "A total of G15,000 is placed here every year from the Ravenclaw Vault. On record, the Ravenclaw Vault could fill this vault for a thousand more years, so you do not need to worry about running out of personal money. What date would you like the Vault to update and refill to G15,000?"

"First of July," Holly said.

"Very well," Ragnok said.

"Ragnok?" Holly asked, "Does Gringotts have something compared to that of a Muggle Debit Card?"

"Ah!" Ragnok said, with a grin, "I wondered if you would ask! Yes, we do! It can be used in any store in the world, including Muggle stores! Very mischievous of you, milady. I sense you wish to speak to me in private without Lord Potter overhearing and that is why you wanted to come in here on your own."

"Certainly," Holly said, "With a Debit Card, I do not need bags of money. Yes, you are correct. I hope you don't mind, but I wish to already use one of my privileges as Friend of the Nation."

"Oh?" Ragnok asked, interested.

"It just so happens that Harry, thanks to his Inheritance, owns one of the houses where a Horcrux resides," Holly said. "The House of Gaunt in Little Hangleton. Apparently, the house is guarded by many dangerous wards and curses. The Horcrux itself is quite dangerous, but as I understand, also very important as an object itself. It is a ring. I doubt Harry will ever want to go to the house, so whether it stands or is destroyed is probably no big deal."

"Say no more, Lady Ravenclaw," Ragnok said, "Give me a bit of time, and I will assemble a team of Goblins and Curse Breakers to retrieve the Horcrux, and make sure that the object itself is not damaged. When it is done, I will contact you."

"Thank you, Keeper Ragnok," Holly said, "I am finished here."

Holly left the Vault, and Ragnok proceeded to close the door. They then returned to the cart.

"Huh, I thought you'd be carrying bags of coins," Harry said, as Holly sat down next to him.

"It turns out Goblins offer a variation of the Muggle Debit Card," Holly said, "No need to carry bags of money, when you can use a card. It can be used at both wizarding and Muggle shops alike!"

"When we return to the surface, I will give you your Debit Cards," Ragnok said. "My apologies for not thinking of such sooner."

"Apology accepted, Keeper Ragnok," Harry said, "Er... then why are we going to the Vaults?"

"Well, there is likely much more than gold in your Vault, Harry!" Holly said.

"Also," Ragnok said, "If I am correct, you can retrieve the Portkey for Potter Manor there."

"Oh, right," Harry said, "Lead on!"

"You heard him!" Ragnok said, tapping the cart. "Go!"

Holly and Harry whooped with joy as the cart began its journey once again.

* * *

Harry Potter was having the most fun he had ever had in his short life. So far, it had been the best birthday he had ever had, and it was only halfway finished! To think, it was only midnight when he was laying on the dirty floor of a worn-out shack in the middle of a storm, wishing for warmth, and singing the Happy Birthday song to himself. Then, just like that... everything changed!

Sure, there was some bad with the good. To think people had been stealing from him, even when he didn't know he had that much money! Also, the Horcrux Transfer ritual was not fun at all. It was quite painful, and probably would have been more so, if the Goblin magic hadn't numbed his body. Watching two Goblins battle a possessed pig was quite entertaining. The Healers had even told him that if he was as weak-minded as that pig, he might have been possessed too. That was a scary thought.

However, there was also much good. He had a new friend in Holly, who was a fantastic person. She was nice, smart, funny, and – it embarrassed him to think of such a thing – very, _very cute!_ However, something told him she was hiding some big secret from him. How did she know so much... about the wizarding world... about _him_? Were they really related?

That last thought alone scared him a little. The only relations he had ever known were mean to him. He didn't have any good memories when it came to relatives. He didn't _need_ any more relatives! He _needed_ friends! And Holly, above all, definitely seemed like his friend. Probably even could be his best friend. To him, that was all that mattered. He hoped whatever secret she held, that his feelings toward her wouldn't change for the negative. He would just have to wait and see!

Right now, however, he was positively whooping with joy as the cart made its way down the tracks underneath Gringotts Bank. He had never been on a roller coaster. He had never been to a fun park. Whenever his Aunt and Uncle took Dudley to a fun park, Harry would spend the day with Mrs. Figg and her numerous cats in her smelly house. But now, he was sure this was far more fun than any fun park.

Then, all too soon, the ride was over... at least for now.

"Wow!" Harry said, "That seemed a lot longer than it took to get to Holly's vault!"

"The Potter Vault is quite old, Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "We are deep within the caves, very deep under London. If you were to come down here without a Goblin, you would get so lost, you would never reach the surface. You would probably be in danger of getting eaten by a Dragon!"

Harry gulped.

"Now," Ragnok grinned widely, quite amused, "Shall we meet said Dragon?"

"Erm... okay," Harry said; he was suddenly not feeling so confident about seeing Dragons.

"Do not worry," Ragnok said, as Harry followed the Goblin and Holly out of the cart, "No human has ever been eaten, burned, maimed or injured by our Dragons as long as they were escorted by a Goblin."

Harry dare not ask how many humans had been eaten, burned, maimed and injured while not being escorted by Goblins. He just didn't want to know.

"Now," Ragnok said, "We must tread cautiously. The Potter Vault, along with a few other Vaults – even some of those Vaults loaned to some of Voldemort's followers that we will be checking up on soon – is being guarded by one particular Dragon we like to call Grey Eyes. You'll see why soon. Come, come!"

Holly took Harry's hand. He was sure he was blushing, but he was suddenly braver as well. Hand-in-hand, they followed Ragnok across the cavern, which soon became wider and taller. The growling sounds of a great beast were suddenly becoming louder. Then the sounds were accompanied by ringing. Harry then realized the ringing came from the object Ragnok held, and he remembered it was called the Clankers or something like that.

They turned a corner... and were met by a very large Dragon! Harry looked on amazed at the Dragon. It was enormous! But... as he studied it more, he saw that the Dragon seemed to be injured. It had scars and bruises all along its body, head and tail. Then Harry noticed its faded pupils in its eyes.

"It is blind!" Harry exclaimed, trying to not sound too loud.

"Aye," Ragnok said, "Ol' Grey Eyes has been down here in darkness for a long time. The darkness caused the blindness, however, do not take that as being weakness! Her smell and hearing are far more powerful because of it. See how, even though we speak with whispers, she seems to stare right at us."

Harry nodded. Ragnok rang the Clankers again, and Harry frowned as the Dragon backed up, as if scared, into a corner.

"She's frightened!" Holly said, "The Clankers -"

"Aye," Ragnok said, "Trained by Goblins to back away at this very sound. It may seem cruel, but it is for your safety above all. Come, let us go to the Vault so that Ol' Grey Eyes may find peace again."

Harry couldn't keep his eyes off the dragon as he followed Ragnok and Holly past the enclosure and toward the Vaults. He felt sorry for the creature. They soon stopped in front of one particular Vault. Harry noticed, etched into the bronze metal of the door, a design, like a shield. He held up his Potter Family ring and compared it to the shield. A Griffin standing tall, its wings outstretched, stood above two swords pointed diagonally. On the Griffin's chest, there was a letter P.

"The Potter Family Vault," Ragnok said. "Lord Potter, walk up to the door, and press the Potter Family ring directly in the hole that forms around the upper portion of the large letter P."

Harry did as was instructed, then backed away as he heard a great mechanical sound. The Potter Shield split in two, dividing the two swords, as the doors melted into the walls revealing the Vault and its treasures within.

Harry's eyes widened at the sight. The Vault was cavernous – he would later compare the Great Hall at Hogwarts to his Family Vault, just by the sheer size. Piles of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts appeared like large hills, all lined up throughout the center of the Vault. On either side of the coins were all the valuables. Just standing in the entrance, Harry could see large casks overflowing with various jewels, as well as furniture, chests, and what appeared to be mannequins wearing clothing and armor. Weapons – swords, shields, bows, staffs – hung on the walls.

Harry turned back to Ragnok and Holly. They were still standing outside the Vault.

"Go on," Holly said, encouragingly, "Your first visit should be private."

"Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "To your direct left when you enter, there is a large trunk. I was made aware of this chest. It has five compartments, and could be used as your school trunk, so you do not have to buy a new one. Inside, in the very topmost compartment, there should be the Portkey to Potter Manor, as well as other various personal items your parents left for you and you alone."

Harry gulped, then nodded as he eyed the trunk.

"Erm... how am I supposed to carry it around?" Harry asked.

"Command it to shrink," Ragnok said, "When you wish it to go back to normal, tell it to grow. Shrunken, it should fit in your pocket, and will only grow in size when you command it, so it does not endanger you whilst in your pockets."

Harry nodded and walked over to the trunk. "Shrink!"

Immediately the trunk shrunk down to the size of one of the tiny toy cars he had stolen from Dudley at one point in his life. It easily fit in his pocket when he placed it there.

"Anything else I should get?" Harry asked.

"Some of this furniture might have once been at Potter Manor, Harry," Holly said, "Maybe you should plan for another visit in the near future just to be sure."

"That is a good idea, Lord Potter," Ragnok said, "On your next visit, perhaps at the same time you meet Madam Bones, and Curse Breaker Weasley, I will have a large list of all the items inside this vault. That way, you know exactly what is in here."

"Alright," Harry said, "I think I am done for now. Even if there was something else in here I could use at school, I want everything else I buy to be brand new. Never had much stuff that was new to me. I am finished here for now, Ragnok."

"Excellent," Ragnok said, "Come! We will retrieve your Debit Cards, and then this lengthy but fruitful meeting is finished!"

Harry nodded and walked back out of the Vault. He took one more look at the contents, and smiled. Before today, he was lucky to own the large second-hand shirt on his back. Now, he owned all of this.

It was an overwhelming feeling, but it was also a good change. It signaled that his new life had really begun!

Ten minutes later, Harry, Holly, and Ragnok returned to the Atrium of Gringotts. Then, after a quick retrieval of Harry's and Holly's new Debit Cards, and a respectful goodbye to Ragnok, the young pair finally left the bank, after what seemed like hours.

They did not see the strange man with the purple turban enter the bank as they left it.

* * *

Thankfully, Quirinus Quirrel did not see them either. He was too busy staring at the crowd of humans and Goblins in the bank.

"Master," he whispered, in an apologetic tone, "I am sorry but I have no choice. We will have to wait until tonight. There are too many witnesses."

 _Fortunately for you,_ the cold, cruel whisper of a voice in the back of his head replied, _you are correct. Be here when the doors are closed. We will retrieve it then!_

"Y-yes, M-master," Quirrel whispered, fearfully.

 _Hmm,_ his Master whispered, _That stutter might come in useful! Practice it!_

"As you w-wish," Quirrel said.

He then turned and left the bank. He needed a place to hide and prepare for his mission.

* * *

The first thing Holly noticed as she and Harry made their way back into Diagon Alley was that the marketplace had become much more crowded.

"Oh dear," Holly said.

"What?" Harry asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Harry," Holly said, "I don't know if you've realized it yet, but because of that night you vanquished Voldemort – you're probably going to be looked at like some kind of hero. Not just here, but at Hogwarts."

"Oh," Harry said, with a frown, "But – I don't want that."

"I know that, Harry," Holly said, "But very few others will realize that too. To the rest of them, you are a hero. If you want, I will apply a charm to you, known as the Notice-Me-Not Charm. You could tell someone your name, and they probably will think you are just some normal boy out shopping, just like you want to be. Someone will see you, and see just a normal person."

"That's probably a good idea," Harry agreed.

Holly smiled and waved her hand over Harry. "Done! Now, only those in the know – namely me! – will know who you really are. Do you have your shopping list?"

"Right here," Harry said, pulling the envelope out of one of his pockets.

Holly rummaged through her own pockets – she really needed a purse! – and found her own envelope. She opened it and looked through it.

"Hmm," Holly said, "The bookstore, and the various clothing stores are going to take the longest. So we'll leave them until last. For now, I think our first stop should be the wand shop. It would let me cut back on wandless magic. I may be a smart eleven year old, but others might think it odd I can do wandless magic!"

"I definitely want a wand!" Harry said.

"A required tool until you learn wandless magic," Holly said, "Follow me."

They made their way through the crowds and headed for the wand shop. Holly's charms on Harry held true. Nobody looked at him more than a passing glance, and nobody noticed the remnants of his scar.

Soon, they found themselves at the wand shop. The building was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 b.c. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, and had not changed since Holly had been there the last time around. There seemed to be just as many wands in the various rows as there had been then.

"Hello?" Harry asked, "Anyone here?"

Just as he said it, a man appeared in the shadows. Holly immediately recognized the man as Garrick Ollivander. Had he always looked so... creepy?

"Ah yes," Ollivander said, looking at Harry. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter."

"How did you know it was me?" Harry asked, "My friend put a charm on me."

"A Notice-Me-Not Charm, yes," Ollivander said, "However, those of us who use their eyes for more than just seeing can look past such charms. Don't worry, I will keep your secret."

"Oh," Harry said, "Thank you."

"You have your mother's eyes," Ollivander said, "It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

Holly frowned. She missed that wand. She hoped her new wand was just as good.

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. "Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Holly wished he would back away from Harry.

"Funny," Ollivander said, "That scar is a lot thinner than I expected."

Mr. Ollivander hovered a long, white finger toward the lightning scar on Harry's forehead. Holly hissed at the man, warning him to back away. Ollivander cleared his throat and stepped back a few feet from Harry.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..." He sighed deeply. "Anyway! Mr. Potter..."

"It is Lord Potter now, sir," Harry said, politely.

"Ah, apologies!" Ollivander said, "I didn't know. Then I assume you are Emancipated?"

"Both of us are, sir," Harry said, looking at Holly.

"I will remove the Trace from both your wands then," Ollivander said, "Now! Mr. Potter, which is your wand arm?"

"I am right-handed, sir," Harry said.

"Let me see!" Ollivander said.

Harry offered his arm, and Ollivander waved his own wand at a measuring tape, which floated over to Harry, and measured not only his arm, but his whole body.

"Let's see if I can find the right wand," Ollivander said.

"Mr. Ollivander?" Holly said, "We do not want to take all day doing this. Find our wands straightaway, and I will tip you generously for it."

Ollivander stared at Holly for a moment. "Of course. After Harry's measurements are finished, please measure her as well."

Holly didn't think he was talking to her. The man then turned and strode off down an aisle.

"He is... very odd," Harry said.

"Yes," Holly said, "He is. I would have hexed him if he touched you."

Harry blushed deeply red, but Holly barely noticed this, because she was muttering about "the old pervert" under her breath. Then, for good measure, she smacked the measuring tape away from her body when it tried to measure her.

The old pervert – ahem – man in question returned with two boxes in hand. He handed one to Harry, and the other to Holly. He then watched as Holly opened her box first.

"Ten inches," he said, "Dragon heartstring, made of willow. Swishy. Excellent for charms. Peculiar..."

Holly pointed her wand at him, making him cough. He cleared his throat then backed away. She knew what he was thinking; her wand was quite similar to Lily's. She would not let him voice that comparison out loud!

"It seems it works wonders, Miss...?" Ollivander said.

"Ravenclaw," Holly said, and Ollivander's creepy silver eyes widened, "Lady Ravenclaw. This wand suits me. Thank you."

"Yes – ahem – well," Ollivander stammered, "You next, Mr. Potter!"

Holly calmed her growing temper as she watched Harry take his wand from the box. He smiled and his green eyes seemed to glow, as he looked at the wand.

"Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple," Ollivander said, "A wand useful for many skills and subjects. Wonderful! But also curious -"

Before Harry could ask, Holly interrupted. "Yes, yes, I am sure you are curious! But we haven't the time for your curiosity. We'll buy the wands! And a couple of your usual holsters. Disarm-proof, summon-proof, the works."

Ollivander looked from Harry's wand to Holly, and frowned. "Very well."

He summoned two larger boxes, and gave them to Holly and Harry. Each young wand-wielder opened their boxes, and Ollivander instructed them how to put them on.

"Seventeen galleons total for wand and holster," Ollivander said, "Both wands have the Trace removed due to Emancipation. Ah, debit cards, wonderful!"

"Take twenty off it, three for your tip," Holly said.

Harry agreed with Holly. Ollivander charged the cards, and Holly and Harry left the shop.

"Never let a man like that keep talking," Holly said, "I don't know what his problem was – maybe he was hoping more customers would come in and see you. Just so they would shop there! There _are_ other wand shops, though those are in Knockturn Alley, where you _never_ want to go. Whatever... let's continue!"

And so they did. Over the next hour, they went from shop to shop, filling their shopping lists from the various items – potions ingredients and other needed items for Potions. Holly advised Harry not to buy telescopes there. They could buy more powerful Muggle telescopes at a later date when they went out shopping in the Muggle world, then Holly could charm them with those charms usually seen on wizarding telescopes. Holly also bought a large trunk very similar to Harry's own.

Then they went to the bookshop; here they spent nearly an hour looking through the books. Besides the books from their lists, they bought others as well. Books for household magic, ward magic, books on wizarding politics and the Wizengamot, as well as a book about Ancient Houses including the Potter Family House, which claimed to be recently updated as of that year. Holly also bought books on Occlumency and Legilimency, and the magic surrounding it to help her with her own ideas for inventions. She bought a couple of recent history books that started from 1981, so she could familiarize herself with the history between Lily's death, and Holly's "rebirth".

"Er... Holly?" Harry asked, "What in the bloody hell are those?"

"Language, young man," Holly said, sounding motherly again.

She looked toward where Harry was pointing. A row on one side of an aisle was filled with various books that started with "Harry Potter and..." followed by various titles.

Harry picked up one of the books, the first in the very large series apparently, and looked through it.

"This... this is fiction!" he said, "about me. Listen! 'Follow along as Harry Potter, a powerful toddler, battles a troublesome troll and saves the day again!' What is this? When I was a toddler, I was lucky to even walk down the hall outside the – err – my bedroom!"

"It appears someone has been using your name without permission and making up stories of you," Holly said, with a deep sigh.

This was the exact kind of fodder Molly Weasley needed to raise her daughter to think she was destined to be Mrs. Harry Potter. She could picture the young girl reading these books and dreaming about marrying this... Boy-Who-Lived? Oh, bloody hell!

"Language, young lady!" Harry joked.

Holly harrumphed. She hadn't realized she swore out loud. "Do you know how many children probably read these. How many of our fellow classmates?"

Harry gulped and gingerly placed the book back on the shelf then backed away from it.

"Exactly," Holly said, "We're going to do something about this. Just one more letter I have to write. Ugh! Come on. We have enough books for now."

"Maybe even too many," Harry said, grinning.

"Nonsense," Holly said, waving her hand dismissively, as she marched toward the counter, "You can never have too many books."

Apparently, however, the witch at the counter wasn't exactly of the same mind-set. Although she saw the quick treasure trove, it was easy to see she thought the two children went overboard. However, she said nothing, only ran her wand over the debit cards and bagged the books then shrunk the bags. Harry and Holly pocketed the bags with the rest of the others, then walked out of the shop.

"Clothes shopping next," Holly said. Harry gulped, which made Holly giggle, "Now don't be afraid. It will be fun. And this is only the first half. We will have to go out to the Muggle shops to get the rest!"

Holly rolled her eyes when Harry gulped again, and pulled him along. When they reached Madam Malkin's the shop was thankfully empty. Holly marched up to whom she recognized as Madam Malkin, looking mostly the same as she remembered, just older.

"Greetings," she said, brightly, "My friend and I were recently Emancipated and have recently had our Inheritance Tests which were quite successful. We're a proper Lord and Lady now! Please suit us up with the proper Head of House style robes – school robes, formal robes, et cetera. A generous tip is offered if you will keep our identities you may learn secret for now."

Madam Malkin blinked then smiled. "Of course! You first, young lady!"

The whole process of measuring, trying on robes, underclothing, and various other pieces of clothing for both Harry and Holly took well over half-an-hour. Madam Malkin, as promised, said nothing – though she looked quite shocked – when the Potter and Peverell shields appeared on all of Harry's robes. Holly had informed Harry in secret that the Hogwarts House Shields would not show up until they publicly claimed such titles. It wouldn't do to show such shields when they wanted it kept secret for now!

When they were finished, they tipped Madam Malkin generously for her secrecy, then stepped out of the shop. Harry now had a few pieces of public-style clothes, but the rest would come when they went Muggle shopping later.

"One last shop, Harry," Holly said, "Then how about we take a late lunch at the Leaky Cauldron and go to Potter Manor? Now, I want to get you a birthday present!"

"Oh – you don't have to!" Harry said, blushing a deep pink.

"I know I don't," Holly said, "But I will anyway. Now, every young witch and wizard needs an owl. By the end of the summer, you might have some to write home to! To the Post Office!"

Harry gave a sigh, and blushed again, as Holly took his hand and they journeyed to the post office. They split up and looked through the owls. Holly soon decided on a Black female tawny owl, while Harry chose a beautiful snowy owl, also female. Holly paid for Harry's owl, but he insisted on paying for the cage on food. Then they decided to test the limits of their owls already. They needed to send the owls with their letters of reply to confirm their attendance at Hogwarts.

"By the time you're back, we'll be at Potter Manor, girl," Harry said, "Do you think you can find it? Even I don't know where it is yet!"

The snowy owl hooted softly.

Harry smiled and attached the letter to the owl's leg. "To Hogwarts. By the time you get back, I'll have a name for you!"

Holly smiled as she watched both owls fly into the sky.

"Probably a good idea we did that," she said, "We wouldn't want to carry them around. They'd get bored."

"Yeah," Harry said, "Lunch, then home?"

Holly smiled at the word 'home'. She wondered if Harry even realized he said the word. "Sure."

Soon, they were back in the Leaky Cauldron, and sitting at the same table as they had that morning. They ordered a couple of lunch specials and butterbeer this time, which Harry thought was just as tasty! They discussed various things about the day so far, whilst choosing to leave the most important discussion for later that evening.

When they were finished with their meal, Harry opened the top of his trunk, and found what appeared to be a large brick, with the Potter Family Shield on it. They realized it was the Portkey. Harry took it out, and shrunk his trunk, then stored it back in his pocket. Then the pair each held onto one end of the brick, and with the word "Activate", they vanished. Their destination Potter Manor. Their intentions: resting after what was a busy day before having their all-important discussion.

However, many many miles away, inside a large castle which was also a school, an old man was about to find out his day – even if it was late in the afternoon – had only just begun!

In the highlands of Scotland, a majestic castle, which was also a school, was known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was midway through the summer, so there weren't very many human residents in the castle at the moment. Amongst the numerous ghosts, portrait inhabitants, and one very insane Poltergeist, a few witches and wizards, known as some of the staff of Hogwarts, made the castle their home year-round, for it was a better home than they had elsewhere.

One particular wizard was a Dark Lord, though there were nearly none out there who recognized him as such. To nearly all of Britain's wizarding population, and much of the wizarding population around the world, this man was their proclaimed Leader of the Light. The wizard's name was Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. He was the Headmaster of the school, Chief Warlock of the British Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and also held the prestigious award, the Order of Merlin: First Class. He would proclaim to the general public that his greatest accomplishment was the fact that his name and picture was on a Chocolate Frog Card.

This was a lie of course. He adored all of his titles, simply because of the sheer power they held. With that much power, the man did not need to become Minister of Magic. Why hold that seat, when the actual Minister was calling him three times a day asking for his advice?! Give the foolish man some good advice, much of which were laws he wanted passed, or information he needed to know, along with a bit of gold – much of which was stolen – and the man would grant it! That... that was power!

Albus Dumbledore was famous for many things. The most famous – his victory against Gellert Grindelwald. In reality, the supposedly famous duel between enemies, was actually planned entertainment – the theatrics of the duel were for show! The witnesses who had claimed to see such a powerful duel – Imperiused by Dumbledore and Grindelwald to tell the public and reporters about an exciting duel they saw – some of which was actually true – they had seen some awesome magic, but it was just a game between old friends and lovers about who could cast the best spells. The duel was planned from the beginning. Dumbledore would claim the wand for himself, "defeat" Grindelwald, and lock him in a tower of his own prison. Then... the two Dark wizards would wait for the right time to show the world the truth!

However, the plan backfired. A new Dark Lord – Voldemort, real name: Tom Marvolo Riddle – came into the picture. The damned fiend – Dumbledore was annoyed by him! How dare the bastard turn his back on him?! Dumbledore discovered the boy, brought him to Hogwarts – taught him much of what he knew – and then the man decided to become cranky and decided he wanted the power! Dumbledore couldn't have that. However, Voldemort just would not die! Dumbledore needed the man dead so that his own plan he made with Grindelwald could begin!

And then the Prophecy came into play. Here... here was the tool, the weapon, the truth Dumbledore was looking for! He could not beat Voldemort because a prophecized child was meant to kill him! However the Prophecy scared Dumbledore. The prophecy only mentioned a "Dark Lord". It never once mentioned the name Voldemort. Even the prophecy's label in the Department of Mysteries had a question mark! Dumbledore knew he had to take caution with this one. So he started making plans.

Then, in late July of 1980, two children were born, one of these children was the prophecized One. Dumbledore didn't know which. However, Dumbledore was as scared of the children's parents, as he was of the children themselves. The prophecy stated that the parents would "thrice defy" the Dark Lord. Well, Dumbledore couldn't have that. So, he set up the game pieces. The parents had to die. He convinced both sets of parents to hide in lightly-warded houses. Of course he couldn't have them live in their heavily guarded Manors! Then he convinced them to trust in two Secret Keepers who were weak-minded. The Potters' Secret-Keeper was a Death Eater. The Longbottom's was a weak Auror friend of the pair. Both Secret Keepers had to die of course afterward. With these pieces in play, then came the checkmate.

Halloween 1981. With both Secrets revealed to Voldemort, the attacks took place. James and Lily Potter lost their lives, and Frank and Alice Longbottom tortured into insanity. No longer able to defy Dark Lord Dumbledore. Unfortunately baby Neville Longbottom didn't die. That was okay. Dumbledore visited him and bound most of his magical core. Couldn't have him powerful, just in case his parents were cured and later could thrice defy Dumbledore, now can we?

Then there was Harry Potter. The prophecized child. Lily Potter's sacrifice was an unexpected twist. Her sacrifice stopped Voldemort, destroying his body, but leaving him a shade. Dumbledore was perplexed at that – the man was not dead! Then Dumbledore realized the truth, the source – baby Potter's scar. The scar was a Horcrux. Ingenious of Voldemort – how many did he make? Dumbledore didn't know, but here was the key to Voldemort's survival. He knew one day the bastard would return. The Horcrux in Harry Potter meant the child would have to ultimately die for Voldemort to die. Easy enough. Let the bastard kill the child, then Dumbledore would defeat Voldemort. The world would then rejoice in the victory, the much-needed time of peace – then Dumbledore and Grindelwald would come along and rule the wizarding world!

So begins the next chess-match. Dumbledore's first move was to bring in his pawns to take out other pawns. Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, would have raised the boy to be a powerful hero! Dumbledore couldn't have that. Black needed to go. Events came along, and Black ended up in Azkaban. Being Chief Warlock had its perks. No more godfather for Harry. Of course, then there was the Potter Wills. Hidden away from the public, Dumbledore could bring his own fake Will into play naming him magical guardian of the boy, and his official guardians would be Muggles. Not just any Muggles, but Lily Potter's sister. Petunia already despised magic, and she had taught such hatred to her husband. Perfect pawns to raise Harry. They would surely raise the boy with a firm hand. When it was time to bring the prophecized one into the wizarding world, the boy would be weak-minded, desperate for friends, a family, and mentors. Luckily, Dumbledore had hand-picked a few of those.

That brings us to today. Albus Dumbledore was currently sitting in his office, sucking on lemon drops, his hands pressed together as if in prayer, and waited. His minion – ahem – caretaker of Hogwarts had been away since early the previous day, running an errand for Dumbledore. The errand: rescue Harry from his relatives and introduce him to the wizarding world. Now, Dumbledore was waiting for Hagrid to return, proudly boasting about how much fun he had with Harry Potter. Also, there was a second errand. Just as important.

It was at that moment that several things happened at once. Rubeus Hagrid walked into the room and accidentally slammed the door behind him, causing the room to shake, the portraits of former Headmasters and Headmistresses, and the phoenix Fawkes to squawk indignantly. On a table on the right side of the office, instruments that monitored Harry Potter – his life-signs, health, the Horcrux in his head, his magical core, his location, the wards at the Dursley house, and a few others – all turned to dust. And an owl flew into the office and dropped an official-looking envelope from Gringotts onto Dumbledore's desk then left the office. Dumbledore didn't notice the latter however. He was currently racing over to the table where the former monitors were now turned to dust.

Dumbledore knew right then. Hagrid slamming the door could not destroy the monitors. Something had gone very, very wrong when it came to Harry Potter.

Dumbledore turned to Hagrid. "Where's Harry Potter, Hagrid?"

"Er... I am not sure at this particular moment, sir," Hagrid said.

"Is he not back with his relatives?" Dumbledore asked. "Hagrid, tell me everything that happened!"

"That's the trouble, Headmaster, sir," Hagrid said, "I can barely remember."

"Tell me what you remember!" Dumbledore demanded.

So Hagrid told him about the shack he had found Harry in – he was there just like Dumbledore had said. Of course he was, the tracking monitor had found him there. It was late at night, so, after a lengthy discussion in which a lot of screaming was done, and surprising discussions were also said, they went to sleep. Then they woke up and went to Diagon Alley.

"... and I remember taking Harry into Gringotts," Hagrid said, "And then... nothing. Well, I remember going to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink..."

Dumbledore cursed internally. The blasted man-child had drunk himself stupid! He remembered Harry Potter being at Gringotts and... then what?

"Fine," Dumbledore said, "I will find out myself. Did you at least get my package?"

"Er... package, sir?" Hagrid said, "I... I don't think so."

Dumbledore cursed out loud, causing Hagrid, the portraits and Fawkes to scream indignantly. His intelligence told him that whatever was trying to take the package would try to retrieve it that evening. And it was still there!

"Get out, Hagrid," Dumbledore said, "I have to fix your mess."

"Er... yes sir," Hagrid said, "Goodbye, sir."

Dumbledore waved dismissively, just hoping the man-child would leave. He then walked over to his desk, sat down and popped a lemon drop in his mouth. The calming potion in the drop worked its magic. He calmed down instantly, allowing process of thought.

He knew it was a mistake sending Hagrid on this mission. But he had no other choice! Hagrid was dumb as bricks – sure he might overreact to any mistreatment toward Harry, but he would not tell a soul if Dumbledore asked him not to! Minerva McGonagall, however. It was her who had volunteered the task to take Harry to Diagon Alley. The letter inviting Harry to Hogwarts had been sent a week ago. No reply had come. They sent more letters, still no reply. McGonagall was worried. She told Dumbledore if no letter had come by August 1st, she would check on the boy. Dumbledore couldn't have that. The first sign of the abuse – ahem – firm-handed teachings the Dursleys gave Harry, and McGonagall would have reported the Dursleys to the proper authorities. It wouldn't work of course. Dumbledore would clean everything up, Harry would find himself back at his relatives, and nobody, not even McGonagall, could do anything about it. So he sent Hagrid to retrieve the boy on his eleventh birthday. Just to prevent a Hagrid sized headache.

Just like he was having now! It had come down to two things. The first, Hagrid had escorted Harry Potter on his shopping trip, told the boy to be at King's Cross on September 1st, and brought him home. Perhaps Hagrid had simply forgotten about it, due to the drink, just as he had forgotten to retrieve the package?

The second option, however, was this: something had happened when Harry reached Gringotts. There were many possibilities, none better than the one before it. He could have met someone – whether that someone was a possible friend, or someone with bad intentions was the question – who would have taken him shopping, and forgotten about Hagrid. Hagrid could have been compelled to forget it all. If this was so, then where did Harry Potter go after he left Diagon Alley. Had he even left the marketplace yet?

Whatever happened caused all of the monitors on him to simply destroy themselves. There was one more possibility. This one was the worst. Harry could have somehow met with the Goblins – instead of just retrieving a bit of gold and leaving – and discovered everything. That was not a welcome thought. If the boy found out that he was the Head of an Ancient and Noble House, if he found his parents Wills... Any one of these could have given him his Emancipation. If any of this was discovered...

Dumbledore shuddered. No, this couldn't be true. There had to be another answer. Yes, Harry had met someone while shopping, who would then take him back to the Dursleys. That was probably it.

Dumbledore popped another lemon drop in his mouth, then saw the envelope on his desk. It was from Gringotts. Curious, he opened it, and read the letter.

 _Albus Dumbledore,_

 _This is a reminder notice that today, 31 July 1991, is the last day you may hold your package, located in Vault 713 in our bank. Retrieve it by 10:00 this evening or we will claim it as is our right by the contract you signed._

 _May your treasures be guarded wisely._

 _Keeper Goldbrick_  
 _Gringotts, London_

Dumbledore crumpled up the letter. He knew the contract ended tonight! That is why he had sent Hagrid! However, the letter was welcomed. There were certainly many other types of letters he could have received. If Harry Potter had discovered what he had feared, then he would have certainly received other letters instead of something like this. This was good news. It seemed Harry Potter was still oblivious. Just as he needed the boy to be.

He sighed, summoned his traveling cloak, then walked over to Fawkes.

"To the Leaky Cauldron, my friend," he said.

 _Hopefully I will be able to find Harry at the marketplace. If not, then I will run by Privet Drive. Easy enough._

He did not see the mischievous look in Fawkes' eyes, as the bird latched onto his shoulder and the two disappeared in a ball of flame.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Ragnok the Sixth and his royal father were leaving the large Council room. Their discussion was just as important as the one the council had just held.

"Such treachery has been made here in our Nation," King Ragnok said, to his son, "Horcruxes, Traitorous Goblins. Whatever next?"

The son only smiled, but did not answer. He knew the question was rhetorical.

"So it seems your meeting with the newest Lord Potter was very profitable?" the King asked.

"An understatement, Father," Ragnok said, "Heirs of Hogwarts Founders, three of the five Original Vaults opened again, with a fourth possible opening soon as well. You heard more of such profit and evidence in this very meeting. A Horcrux in our very bank, and to think, the object cursed was a Hogwarts Founder's precious antique!"

"We will wreak havoc on those fiendish followers of the monster who calls himself Voldemort," the King said, with a scowl.

"Are we prepared for the possible retaliations from both the Ministry and the Dark Lord's minions?" Ragnok asked.

"We will be," the King said, "If the Dark Lord's minions decide to be violent, the Nation will not yearn for violence on the rest of the humans, only those who serve Voldemort. If the Ministry decides to be violent in actions and not just their tongues which is a probability, we will discover if they are also sympathetic to the Dark Lord. If they are not, we will then decide on a proper retaliation."

"And our new Friends of the Nation?" Ragnok asked.

"Give them whatever they want," the King said, "The boy is the prophecized One. It is he who will take down the Dark Lord. We will profit much from those two and their allies. Any enemy of theirs is an enemy of ours!"

"Agreed," Ragnok said.

"And what is this rumor I heard that Lady Ravenclaw is actually Lord Potter's mother reincarnated?" the King asked. "What is this I hear of Death giving you a message?"

"All true, Father," Ragnok said.

The King laughed! "Excellent! A story for the ages! Speaking of legends, tell me again of the Goblins versus the possessed pig!"

Just as Ragnok was about to begin, his assistant Bogrod rushed toward them.

"My King! Keeper Ragnok!" Bogrod called.

"Let him through!" the King barked to his guards.

"Keeper Ragnok," Bogrod said, "Albus Dumbledore has arrived in the Leaky Cauldron. He is on his way here."

"Lord Potter and Lady Ravenclaw?" Ragnok asked, concerned.

"They took the Portkey to Potter Manor, sir," Bogrod said, "A few minutes before Dumbledore appeared."

"Excellent," Ragnok said, "Father, we must part for now. I will tell you that story later."

"Of course," the King said, "When you discover the traitor, send them to the prison! I will have audience with them later."

"Yes, Father," Ragnok said, then bowed.

The King placed a hand on Ragnok's shoulder, then turned and walked away. Bogrod and Ragnok walked toward the Atrium.

"Place guards as decoys at some of the counters," Ragnok said, "Any goblin who has become a Keeper in the past five years is probably not the traitor, replace them for now. Do it quietly. The traitor is probably in the Atrium as we speak."

"Sir!" Bogrod said, then hurried forward.

Ragnok smiled malevolently, pointed teeth showing. Tonight, the traitor would be found. Tomorrow, Ragnok would continue the investigation against the Weasley matriarch, and the seizure of Voldemort's followers' Vaults would begin. Hopefully the Horcrux would be found soon. Ragnok also made note to start putting a team together for the Little Hangleton job. Much to do. Ragnok was looking forward to it!

* * *

 _Ten minutes earlier...  
_  
At Potter Manor in Northampton, Holly Evans and Harry Potter arrived via Portkey. As soon as they landed, Harry groaned painfully. Holly about called out his name when she saw what was going on with him. Eyes fluttering, blinking... his ring was talking to him.

Harry gasped. "Sorry. That was a bit strange. It was like a bunch of commands I need to do for Potter Manor just downloaded into my brain. If I do odd things over the next few hours, ignore me. It is just my ring telling me to do things. Apparently my ring wants us to free Sirius Black as soon as possible. Something about redemption and the Secret Keeper."

"Hmm," Holly said, "This manor needs a Secret Keeper. If your godfather accepts the job, he will redeem himself. The history books say he was the Secret Keeper. If he wasn't and somebody else was, then maybe becoming one now will redeem him?"

"Maybe," Harry said, shrugging. "The ring also says we need to update the wards. I need to find the Master Wardstone first thing. If I don't give you official permission, you might soon be harmed by the wards."

Holly nodded. The wards didn't see her as Lily Potter. She really was Holly Evans.

As Holly followed Harry toward Potter Manor, she realized something. There was an aspect of Harry's check-up results that she hadn't seen.

"Harry?" she called, "Did the Healers say anything about your magical core?"

"Oh, yeah," Harry said, "They said it had a block on it, common with children. They said the blocks should have been released two or three years ago if I had lived in the wizarding world. It is at something like... twenty-five percent right now, I think? Anyway they gave me three potions for it I have to take over the next three weeks. Each potion is supposed to give me an additional twenty-five percent. They said it is dangerous to get it all back at once. They also said I need to start exercising and practice magic every day each week so there are no side-effects with the potions."

"Probably good to start that in the next few days then," Holly said. "Since we're Emancipated, the Ministry won't notice if you use magic."

"Yeah," Harry said. "Speaking of things they couldn't completely heal. They said my eyesight wasn't fully healed, due to my poor glasses over the years. Figures. My glasses weren't proper. Petunia took me to a store, and told me to pick one that I liked. Anyway, they told me if I didn't want to wear glasses, that I should get magical contacts."

"Oh, yeah," Holly said, "I hear magical contacts are brilliant. They come with additional charms like... you only have to take them out once a month for a recharge, you can wear them all month without them being dirty or uncomfortable. Some charms allow you to see past Disillusionment Charms, or through solid objects like walls. Even stuff like X-ray focus."

James had wanted magical eye contacts. Lily put her foot down and refused. She liked James' glasses. Plus she didn't want him getting something like X-ray focus.

"Like... seeing through clothing?" Harry asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Holly giggled, though she did his best to scold him. "Harry James Potter!"

Harry stuck out his tongue. "No X-ray focus then. Pity."

Holly shook her head, as she grinned. He was SO like his father! She followed him to the front door of Potter Manor. Harry grabbed the doorknob and his eyes fluttered again.

"The house has officially welcomed its new owner apparently," Harry said. "Or rather... welcomed back. Welcome to Potter Manor."

Holly smiled. Harry opened the door, and led Holly into the house. The first room they came into was the large entrance room. Suddenly, they heard a POP and a house-elf appeared out of thin air. Holly smiled. This had to be Melina. She looked so like her mother.

"Harry?" Melina asked, "Is it really you?"

"Ragnok did say a house-elf was here," Holly said.

"I guess that is you, little lady," Harry said, "Yes, I am Harry Potter. Lord Potter in official situations. Head of the Noble and Ancient House of Potter."

"I am Melina, my Lord," Melina said, "When you were a baby in this house, I too was but a baby. My mother, who has passed away to the great meadow we all must go to four years ago, I became the last house-elf in this house. I've been waiting for you for many years now."

"First of all, it is Harry," Harry said, "This is Holly Evans, also known as Lady Ravenclaw. My friend."

Melina stared blankly at Holly. Holly began to wonder if the elf knew who she really was.

"Pleasure to meet you, milady," she said.

"Pleasure is mine," Holly said, with a smile.

"What is your job here, Melina?" Harry asked.

"I take care of the house and the grounds outside," Melina said, "If you are living here -"

"I am," Harry confirmed, then looked at Holly, "and possibly Holly as well."

He looked at Holly, who smiled and nodded. She sighed internally hoping it would be the same result after the discussion they were planning. But until then, she would happily stay as long as Harry wanted her there.

"Then I will go shopping at the nearby market very soon," Melina said. "I can use elf magic to glamor myself into a human to do so."

"Do you have access to the Potter Family Vault?" Harry asked.

"Yes, sir," Melina said.

"Is there any furniture or belongings in the Potter Family Vault that is meant to be here?" Harry asked.

"Only the late Lord and Lady's clothing," Melina said, "Everything else has been here for many years."

"That solves that problem," Harry said. "We just ate a late lunch, and may be hungry later tonight. For now, we are going to take a tour of the house, then settle ourselves in. How many bedrooms are in this house?"

"Twelve, sir," Melina said, "The Master bedroom where your parents slept before they moved out of the house with you. The Master bathroom is connected to it. There is the nursery where you once slept as a baby. Then there are ten other guest rooms."

"I assume my old crib and various baby belongings are still in the nursery," Harry asked.

"Yes, sir," Melina said.

"Can they be moved to another room?" Harry asked. "I'd like that room to be my bedroom if you would please set it up right. Decorate it in the manner of a young Lord just beginning their schooling."

"Yes, sir!" Melina said, happily, then looked at Holly, "And for you, miss?"

Holly frowned. She thought about returning to the Master bedroom. But she knew she would only remember Lily's many wonderful nights with James there.

"A guest room near Harry's bedroom is fine," Holly said. "Decorate it the same as Harry's, but for a young Lady. All the fixings."

"Of course, milady," Melina said. "They will be done in the next couple of hours, and then I will go shopping for food."

"Alright," Harry said, "it is very nice to meet you."

"It is nice to see you again as well, my Lord," Melina said, "Milady."

She then popped out of the room.

Harry cleared his throat. "I need to go to the Master wardstone. It is apparently in the sitting room. How about we put all our belongings there for now until Melina finishes?"

"Sure," Holly said, "Do you then want to have our discussion we've been waiting for?"

Harry shrugged. "That can wait until we are settled into the house. While we wait for the bedrooms to get ready, and we can unpack everything. After that, then we can have the discussion. For now, I need to do some Lord business, and then we can tour around the house and grounds."

"Sounds wonderful," Holly said.

Harry smiled and, with Holly in tow, they started into the rest of the house.

* * *

 _Thirty minutes later..._

Back at Gringotts, Keeper Ragnok the Sixth was angry! He was currently standing in the Atrium. At the moment there were only Goblins in the large room. All the humans had been escorted out when it was evident there might be a possible scuffle coming. Now Ragnok was standing behind a large group of Goblin Security guards, all of whom were fully armored, and carrying swords. They were standing in a large circle, and in the middle of the circle stood three Goblins: the traitor, and his two brothers who dared to defend him.

The trap had gone very well. Albus Dumbledore had walked into Gringotts. He walked up to one of the counters, and looked quite comfortable talking to the Goblin. One of Ragnok's assistants who was gifted in the knowledge of human emotions had been with Ragnok as they watched the actions take place. Nothing Dumbledore did showed that he had any knowledge of the trap that was being laid. The Goblin he was talking to... was the traitor. The traitor then lead Dumbledore into the vaults. A couple of the stealthiest of security guards followed Dumbledore and the traitor into the vaults.

Twenty minutes later, they had returned. Dumbledore had his package in hand. Ragnok thought that Dumbledore might confront him and speak to him. Did he know that Harry had been there? Did he know of what had taken place that day? If he did, he decided against talking to Ragnok. It certainly helped that the Atrium was hauntingly empty of humans now. Dumbledore seemed to sense that something was about to happen, because he quickly walked out of the bank with the package in hand.

That was when the guards came into the room and confronted the traitor. Then the traitor's two brothers pushed their way through the security and stood with the traitor. Now, here they were.

Ragnok marched in between some of the guards and made his way to the outer portions of the circle. He stared at the traitor and snarled with open teeth. A clear message that this was a threat.

"Griphook, you traitor!" Ragnok snarled. "You were my most trusted assistant for twenty years!"

"Yes!" Griphook growled, "Twenty years! And yet, I was never once offered a Keeper's job, even for a lower-level Vault. I was your lowly assistant. And to what? A few minor Houses of humans, and one Ancient and Noble House that had all but disappeared!"

"You were stealing from Lord Potter's vault!" Ragnok said, "G15,000 a year! Albus Dumbledore had no right to that money! He was not Harry Potter's guardian! You knew that, didn't you? At the most G5000 a year should have been taken from the vault, to go to the boy's relatives, who as we discovered today, were not supposed to be his guardians either! Lord Potter was given none of that money. G50,000 stolen from him by his relatives alone. Another G100,000 stolen, half going to Dumbledore, and the other to a poor family, all because of a fake betrothal contract's bride price!"

He knew that he was revealing a lot of information to the crowd around him. But none of the crowd were humans, not even the staff at the moment. All humans were out of the bank. Ragnok had made sure that even the deplorable Rita Skeeter was not there. This information would have made her wet herself, and then it would have ended up in the filth that calls itself the Daily Prophet. None of this information could be given to humans who weren't in the know. Not yet. There were still things to do, secrets that remained until they were discovered at the right time, then followed by punishment to the right people. The only Goblins who would give up the information was these three traitors. The guards and other trusted staff were watching every other single goblin to make sure none of them would give this information out. If there were any other traitors, they would be brought to justice.

"You were running a fool's errand for ten years, Griphook!" Ragnok growled. "If you had brought this information to me ten years ago, I would have given you a Keeper's job! But no, you became greedy! And tonight, you will pay for that justice."

The traitor's two brothers snarled at the threat, then ran forward toward Ragnok. This was a mistake. Before they could even go ten feet, the Security goblins brought their blades against the brothers' heads, which were soon rolling across the floor. Griphook screamed out in emotional pain at the loss of his brothers, and fell to his knees, surrendering to the crowd around him.

"Take this filth to the dungeons!" Ragnok ordered, "My father will be the one to bring justice to this traitor."

The crowd around him muttered and murmured. Each and every one of them knew that the King did not like traitors. The King's own father was killed by a Goblin traitor over a century-and-a-half ago. King Ragnok the Fifth held no mercy for a traitor. Griphook would be dead before the humans came into the bank the following morning for their business.

* * *

 _Minutes later..._

Albus Dumbledore was sitting at his desk once again, sucking on a lemon drop. The package he had retrieved from Gringotts currently sat in front of him.

He was currently deep in thought. He had originally gone to Gringotts to do two things: the first was, of course, to retrieve the package. That was a success. The second was to speak to someone about Harry Potter. His Goblin Spy had not seen the boy in the building at all. That information was not welcome at all. Griphook was supposed to have met with Harry and Hagrid and brought them to the vaults. Another Goblin had apparently met with Harry.

Dumbledore had intended on speaking to Ragnok, the Keeper of the Potter Vaults. Perhaps he had seen Harry? The son of the Goblin King had worked for the Potters for a long time. Ragnok would have recognized the boy. Unfortunately, this was not to be. As soon as he had returned to the Atrium from retrieving the package, he had instantly recognized trouble. There had not been a single human, beside himself, in the bank. And he did not stay for long. He left as if Fiendfyre had chased him.

The empty Atrium could only mean one thing. The Goblins were on the prowl. It was then he realized what happened. Somehow the Goblins had discovered Griphook had betrayed them. But how? This was very worrying. If they had known about his spy, did they know the connection between Griphook and him? Or Griphook and Molly Weasley? Or any combination of the three?

Dumbledore then groaned as he realized he had forgotten to do something. He had not gone to Privet Drive to check on Harry. He would have to do that tomorrow. It was likely the boy was there, locked in his cupboard, his school things locked elsewhere from him until September 1st. Yes, that was probably it. The mysterious case of the exploding instruments could also wait another day.

For now, he needed to show his face around the castle. He had a feeling the news about what happened in Gringotts would come out in the morning, and he could not have his minions - err –- fellow staff find out he was up to something. He was already going to have to deal with a few of the staff and talk to them about guarding the contents of the package.

Hmm... perhaps he should trick – err – persuade them into building some rather easy traps. Traps that someone like – oh – a curious first year could get through as a test. Yes, that would work well.

Dumbledore popped another lemon drop in his mouth, congratulating himself on coming up with a wonderful plan. Then he stored the package in a highly warded drawer in his desk, and walked out of his office. He wondered what the house-elves were serving that evening for dinner. It was time to find out.

* * *

 _An hour later..._

Holly Evans and Harry Potter were currently roaming around the grounds. A few minutes beforehand they had made their way to the large Quidditch Pitch that had been there for many years. Holly then taught Harry all about the game of Quidditch. Harry listened intently, his eyes shining with curiosity, and his lips turned in a grin.

"Wow!" Harry said, after Holly had finished her lesson about the sport, "Quidditch sounds great! I could see myself being a Seeker or Chaser. What about you?"

"Er... I'll think about it," Holly said, "Maybe we can get a couple of good brooms in the next couple of weeks or so. We'll see. I think we're going to be too busy with everything else at the moment."

"Speaking of," Harry said, "That brings us to this discussion we've been putting off."

Holly frowned and nodded.

"I know you've been keeping stuff from me," Harry said. "Are we really related? How did you know all that about our meeting at Gringotts? It is just... I don't know..."

"You're right, Harry," Holly said, "And I will tell you everything. We are related. However, I'm not exactly your cousin. I was born an Evans. Oh, boy, how do I put this? On Halloween 1981, your mother died that evening. When she died, she ended up in Limbo. Her Limbo was a train station, it resembled the platform we will go to, in order to get on the Hogwarts Express. There she met a being known as Death. Death told her many things. Things about a possible future. About the past. About many schemes that were taking place, or would be taking place.

"Then Death gave her a choice. She could take a train and move on to what Melina called the great meadow with James. Or... she could walk through a portal and come back to life. But there would be changes in her. She could not look like herself anymore. People knew she was dead. If they saw her again, alive, questions would be raised.

"So she would come back to life as a young girl with a different name. Eleven years old. She would come back on the day of your eleventh birthday."

Holly sighed and looked at Harry. She frowned at what she saw. His mouth was wide open. His left eye was twitching. His right eye was getting ready to leak tears. His two arms were at his sides, his hands in fists.

Then he spoke.

"You're – you – you are -" he stammered.

"I used to be Lily Potter," Holly said, "Your mother, Harry."

"I – err – sorry," Harry said, "I need to – go."

"Do you want me to leave?" Holly said, her lips quivering; she was doing her best to hold back tears.

"No!" Harry said. "I need to – to think. Stay!"

Then he ran back to the house. Holly sank to her knees and out poured the tears she was trying to hold in.

Her worst fears about this discussion were wreaking havoc in her mind.

She didn't know what to do.

* * *

 _Later that evening..._

Quirinus Quirrel was in a quandary. He was currently sitting in a room in the Leaky Cauldron. He had just come from Gringotts, intent on stealing the package from the vault, when he found it was not there. It had been recovered earlier that day. His Master was angry. Quirrel was afraid of what was going to happen to him, then a miracle happened. He discovered from eavesdropping on Goblins that there had been a traitor discovered within the Goblins that evening.

Quirrel smiled malevolently when he heard a groan across the room. That very traitor of the Goblins was currently unconscious after Quirrel had tortured him for ten minutes with the Cruciatus Curse.

It had been earlier that evening when, thanks to eavesdropping, he learned the traitor was in the dungeons. So after a quick, but stealthy adventure in the dungeons of Gringotts, he had found the traitor in a cage, awaiting punishment. So Quirrel freed the traitor, then used its Goblin magic to vanish from the vault, escaping from Gringotts!

After his torture session, he discovered from the Goblin that Dumbledore now had the package – and it was now at Hogwarts.

"You have been much help, Traitor," Quirrel said, "Unfortunately I cannot allow you to squeal about me."

"Wait!" the traitor said, "I know more -"

"I need no more information!" Quirrel growled, "You only wish to prolong your life! Imperio! Goblin, you will use your magic to return to the prison in which I found you, and then you will slit your own throat with your magic."

The Goblin's eyes went cloudy, and he vanished from the room. Quirrel sighed as he sat down on the bed. He would return to Hogwarts in the morning. He had lessons to plan, stuttering to practice, and an investigation to begin. He knew, thanks to his Master, about the curse on the Defense Post. He had until next June to find the Stone. If he didn't find it... well, he knew the Curse was the last thing he needed to worry about.

He would not fail his Master.

* * *

 _Ten-thirty that evening..._

Holly sat at the dining room table, reading through her notes with blurry, sleepy eyes. She had just finished a small dinner, though she hadn't eaten it all. She was afraid her stomach would just bring it back up. She had felt anxious, almost to the point of depression, all evening. Harry hadn't come back to talk to her yet.

A noise made Holly look up, and she smiled when she saw her black owl fly into the room and perch itself on the chair across the table.

"You need a name, don't you?" she said; the owl hooted. "Hmm... Midnight?"

The owl rolled her eyes.

"Guess not," Holly said, "Rowena."

The owl flapped her wings in annoyance.

"Onyx" Head-shake. "Athena." Eye roll. "Circe." Ruffled feathers. "Shadow." One eyebrow raised. "Right, that is usually a boy's name. Sorry."

Holly sighed and stared at the owl. Then she smiled.

"Gianna," she said, "Gia for short. She was the patron saint of mothers. Sacrificed herself for her own child."

The owl nodded rapidly, then flew out of the room.

"Fitting name," Holly said; then she burst into tears again.

Melina popped into the room, and looked at her. "My Lady, you need to go to bed! You are about to fall over!"

"Am I... even still welcome here anymore?" Holly said, hoarsely, "Where's Harry?"

"He is asleep in his room," Melina said. "He requested dinner half-an-hour ago, then took his potions. Then I helped him rub the lather on his scars. Then he fell asleep. He told me that you were not to leave this house. That he would sleep on his thoughts, and continue your discussion tomorrow. It is time to go to bed!"

"Melina?" Holly asked, "Do you... know who I really am?"

"I know you are Holly Evans," Melina said. "I also know who you think you are. But I also see you slowly beginning to lose that thought."

"What do you mean by that?" Holly asked.

"All the answers you and Harry are both looking for will come tomorrow," Melina said, "Now, go to bed! All your belongings have been brought to your room and taken care of by me."

"Oh... thank you," Holly said, "I would have done it. But I was too..."

She couldn't finish that sentence. She stood up and walked out of the room, then made her way to her bedroom. Melina followed her all the way. Melina snapped her fingers, and Holly was now out of her clothes, and into a sleeping gown she had bought. This was a good thing, because she immediately fell onto the bed and instantly went to sleep. If it wasn't for Melina, she would have slept in her clothes above the blankets. Now she was sleeping comfortably under her blankets.

Melina shook her head as she walked out of the room, and shut the door. She wasn't exactly sure who that girl was in there. Simply because the girl didn't know exactly who she was right now. But Melina was sure the answers would come in the morning.

Holly blinked her eyes open and groaned when she found herself once again standing in a very clean version of Platform Nine-and-Three Quarters. She glanced at the bench a short distance away, and saw a familiar figure to her sitting there – Death.

"Oh come on!" Holly scowled, "What? Did I die in my sleep?"

Death chuckled – a tinkling sound instead of the malevolent sound Holly was used to when it came to this figure.

"Relax, my dear," Death said, "You're not dead, you're dreaming. Let's just say this is easier for me to give you a message this way. But I won't be doing this a lot! I like my confusing letters! I have nice writing, don't you think – shut up!"

Holly opened her mouth to say she didn't say anything, then she realized Death wasn't talking to her. On the ground, lying a few feet away from Death, was a Goblin. Closer inspection revealed that the goblin had a long deep cut along its neck. It was groaning rather morosely. A macabre sound.

"Who is that?" Holly asked.

"Griphook," Death said, "The traitor who allowed the thefts from Harry's Trust Vault. He met his fate last night. Ignore him. Now... you are probably wondering why you are here?"

"Well... yeah," Holly said.

"You are here because I fear I caused you great emotional pain," Death said. "If you knew what I am about to tell you, when you initially started your discussion with Harry, it might have gone a lot better."

"And what is that?" Holly asked.

"You are not Lily Potter," Death said. "You are not Harry's mother. She died on Halloween in 1981. You are Holly Marie Evans, official title Lady Ravenclaw, eleven years old, soon-to-be first year student at Hogwarts."

"But... I have memories!" Holly said, "I remember James! Hell, I remember shagging him! I don't know what to do with that! And... I have a wide array of magical knowledge -"

" – all of which once belonged to Lily Potter," Death said. "Yes. You are the reincarnation of Lily Potter. But you are not her. You could have been her niece, or younger sister – why? Because I made it that way. In order for our plans to work, I needed you to be around the same age as Harry."

"So... the names on my Inheritance?" Holly said.

"As I told Lily, your parents are fictional," Death said, "Look. I needed to give you an identity. Technically you're related to Harry – it is what is leftover of Lily in you. Just as you have her memories, knowledge and skills, you also have similar magic. Your wand is nearly identical to Lily's wand. But you are not Lily. If you were, then Harry's ring and the Potter Manor wards would have recognized you."

"Er... and Ragnok?" Holly asked. "He saw me as Harry's mother."

"I told him you're the reincarnation of Lily Potter," Death said. "At that point you thought you were still Lily, so technically, he did not lie to you. The world will see you as a member of the Evans family. Distantly related to Lily and Petunia Evans, but still enough that you are part of the Minor House of Evans, and first in line for the Heir of Ravenclaw House, which Lily was, so there you go."

"So, Melina is right?" Holly asked, "I am Holly Evans, I just thought I was Lily."

"She's a smart elf – listen to her," Death said.

"Okay," Holly said, "So, what do I tell Harry?"

"You'll figure it out," Death said. "Oh, and tell Harry he needs to put up an Unplottable Ward on the house until he can get Sirius as a Secret Keeper. That is a good plan, by the way. But you need a temporary solution. Dumbledore will soon be looking for him."

Before Holly could respond, she blacked out. When she woke up, she was in her bedroom at Potter Manor. It was still quite dark out. She grabbed her wand from the bedside table, and cast Tempus. It was barely four-o-clock.

"Bloody hell, Death, next time give me a dream at six or seven-o-clock in the morning!" Holly said.

She groaned and, feeling peaceful and hopeful about the second half of the discussion with Harry later that day, fell back to sleep.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in Egypt...  
_ **  
**William Weasley, known to most as Bill, stepped into the Gringotts Wizarding Bank in Egypt, and headed for his boss' office. He had received a summons that morning to meet with his boss. This surprised him. He rarely ever met with his boss, usually it was meetings with the assistants. He knew this meeting was very important.

When he reached his boss' office, he rapped his knuckles on the door. A grunt was heard, and he stepped into the office.

"Keeper Firebrand," Bill said, bowing respectfully, "I received your summons, sir."

"Curse Breaker Weasley," Firebrand said, "Yes. I received a letter last night from our sister Bank in London. Apparently you have been summoned back home. You are to be transferred to London today."

Bill frowned. He had not been in England for a couple years now, and then it was only to spend Christmas with his family before he returned to Egypt. For years, all he ever wanted to do was become a Curse Breaker for Gringotts. It was an exciting job, very adventurous.

Growing up as a young boy, he joined his parents sometimes when they went to Gringotts in London. He had fallen in love with the bank, and all its glorious beauty. Most children were afraid of the Goblins. He respected them as a child, adored them. What exciting lives they must lead! He wanted to work there when he left Hogwarts.

And then reality set in. His mother discovered his dream-job and disapproved of such things. She told him a job at the Ministry would bring honor to the Family. He was the future Head of his House, after all. With his NEWT results, he could become a high-ranking official amongst the respectful purebloods there if he worked hard.

But he wouldn't allow his dreams to stay only just that – he would have the job, even if it meant he had to leave his home and country. His heart had broken the day Gringotts in London had offered him a promising job. He told them he wanted the job, but his desires to stay in England had been lost. His mother had demanded too much, he needed to get away from her. So they told him he would have a job in their sister Bank Egypt. He was thrilled, and accepted it immediately. In Egypt, he found that he would get to explore pyramids and tombs, breaking various curses and wards on said locations. These few years since then had been wonderful.

And now it seemed he was going back home.

"Did your colleagues in London explain why I am being transferred, Keeper Firebrand?" Bill asked.

Firebrand glared at Bill. "No. Just that you are being transferred. It is odd, I admit. But that usually means that they have their own reasons. You are to take a Portkey in three hours straight to Diagon Alley in London, and meet with Ragnok there."

Bill blinked, flabbergasted. "I am meeting with the King, sir?"

"His son," Firebrand said, "Ragnok the Sixth. He is heir to the throne. I expect you to respect him like you respect me. Any question he asks, be as truthful as you can. Any request he makes, honor it. Especially if you wish to keep your job. Here is your Portkey. It will activate in three hours. You are not to dally in other affairs before you meet with Ragnok. This means you will not greet your family until after your business with the Bank. Do you understand?"

"Of course, sir," Bill said.

"Go," Firebrand said, "pack your things and be ready to go home!"

"Yes, sir!" Bill said, nodding; he walked over to Firebrand's desk and took the Portkey. "It was an honor to work for you, sir. I can only hope I can return soon."

"I share that honor, Curse Breaker Weasley," Firebrand said. "Go, and may your continued honor to our Nation bring you treasure."

"May your gold keep flowing and the blood of your enemies soak the ground below them," Bill replied, respectfully. "By your leave."

Firebrand nodded. Bill turned and left the office.

It was an easy promise to make to respect and honor Firebrand and Ragnok's requests. He would not disappoint the future King of the Goblin Nation.

Oh, how he would come to regret that promise. It would be a difficult one to keep.

* * *

It was slightly past seven-o-clock in the morning, and Holly was currently in the dining room, just beginning to work her way through a plate of breakfast.

"Um... Holly?" Harry's voice said, quietly.

Holly looked up from her breakfast. Harry stood there in the archway of the dining room, staring at her. She looked at him expectantly. It seemed it was time to continue the next part of the conversation.

"I thought about what you told me last night," Harry said. "I even slept on it. And I have decided my response."

"Okay," Holly said.

"Holly," Harry said, "I don't remember my mother. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon never talked about her. Or Dad. Not much anyway. There weren't any pictures of either of them. They told me my parents died in a car crash."

Holly felt angry tears in her eyes. Now that she knew she was not Petunia's sister, she felt better about thinking about vengeance on the woman.

"What I am trying to say is," Harry said, "I don't think I need a mother. I never grew up with a mother, nor the care and love that could be provided by one. I wouldn't know how to deal with it. Not yet anyway."

Holly opened her mouth to begin her planned discussion, when Harry raised a hand to stop her.

"Let me finish," Harry said, "What I need is a friend. And ever since I met you, Holly Evans, that is what you were to me. You're smart and funny and..." he paused and blushed, a deep red. Whatever he wanted to add to that, he had stopped himself, obviously embarrassed by it. He then continued. "I've never had a friend, Holly. Dudley made sure of that. He'd beat up or threatened anyone who wanted to be my friend. But... yesterday, I think I met my first best friend I've ever had. And I hope that can continue."

Holly stood up and walked around the table.

"Before we begin there is something I need to do," she said.

Harry looked a bit fearful, as if afraid she might hex him or something. Then she walked over to him and hugged him. Harry hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the thoughts coming to her mind. She could almost picture James hugging Lily. Lily used to feel so warm in her husband's arms. She felt safe.

That was when she finally understood. She was thinking of Lily as a different person. This is what Death meant. She was Holly, not Lily. Sure, she had Lily's memories, thoughts, magical skills, and so on, but that was just a "leftover" as Death called it. She was Holly Marie Evans.

She backed out of Harry's hug and smiled at him.

"Harry, I spoke to Death again last night," Holly said; Harry raised his eyebrows questioningly, "In a dream. He told me I was wrong. I am not Lily, I am not your mother. When she walked through the portal, she – I don't know. It would be cruel to say she died again. There is a part of her in me. I have her memories and magical knowledge and things like that. Death sent me here to help you. He needed you to have a friend your age. So he created one. I am technically your mother reincarnated. But I am Holly Marie Evans – you could call me a distant relation, but close enough to be in the House of Evans and the elder Heir of Ravenclaw."

Harry's expression had continually softened as Holly continued her explanation. Now he had a wide smile across his face.

"That makes me feel so much better," he said. "Don't get me wrong, a mother wouldn't have been so bad. But a best friend is much better at the moment."

"Best friends – that sounds brilliant," Holly said, as she hugged him again, "Does that mean I can stay here at Potter Manor?"

Harry backed away and looked at her as if she had two heads. Then he smiled again.

"I would _never_ make you leave," Harry said. "For one, it seems our discussion last night was just getting started. And two... as you said, you were sent here to meet me. To help me. You've helped me a great deal already. But it seems like this is only the start."

"Yes, this is only the beginning," Holly said, "Can we sit down? It is time I tell you everything I know."

Harry nodded. Holly returned to her chair, while Harry sat across from her. At that moment, Melina popped into the room, and set a plate of breakfast and a glass of orange juice in front of him. She then bowed and popped away.

Holly's smile still hadn't left her face. She thanked Death for visiting her during the night. She didn't know what she would have done if it hadn't happened.

"Okay," Holly said, "Thanks to Lily's memories, I remember so much of what happened to her. I remember – well, I remember your birth!"

Harry made a face. "For my sanity, please don't tell me that. You're Holly, not my mother. We're clear on that now."

"Sorry," Holly said, with a wince, "Okay. Sorry, but I still have to give you a little bit of Lily-vision, alright."

Harry giggled at the phrasing, and nodded.

Holly continued. "I remember the events surrounding Halloween of 1981. Including those months leading up to it. A lot of fishy things went on during those months, and until Death explained them to Lily, it didn't make sense. And then... there's what happened in Limbo. Let me finish before you start giving me questions or ranting. Because, believe me, you will do both."

"I promise," Harry said.

Holly inhaled and exhaled then began to tell Harry about everything Death had told Lily. Holly could tell Harry was doing his best to keep his promise. There were times when he looked as if he would start a rant. But Holly would continue on so Harry would calm down enough to not miss anything. When she finally finished, Harry pushed away his untouched plate of breakfast.

"I'm a pawn," Harry muttered. "A weapon, a tool in some sick bastard's game. All because of a Prophecy. Do you – do you know the prophecy?"

"Yes and no," Holly said.

"What do you mean by that?" Harry asked.

"Harry, Dumbledore told your parents about the prophecy," Holly said, "I just explained to you that the man created fantasy Wills from your parents just so he could use it against you. It is possible he might have created a fantasy prophecy as well."

"Oh," Harry said, "Right. That is a possibility."

"However," Holly said, "Deep in the Ministry of Magic, there is what is known as the Department of Mysteries. It holds many secrets and many rooms. One of the rooms is called the Hall of Prophecies. The Prophecy would be in that hall. Only you or Riddle could obtain it. "

"Okay," Harry said, "It is probably best I retrieve it before he does. So... how do we do that?"

"Neville Longbottom's has a Great Uncle known as Algie to his family," Holly said, "It is what Augusta, Neville's Grandmother, refers to her brother as. His real name is Algernon Croaker, and he is the Head Unspeakable – basically the top dog in the Department of Mysteries. We're already going to have to get close with Neville. Death sent me a letter yesterday, and told me Neville is the Heir of Hufflepuff."

"He was one of this group of friends that Death suggested," Harry said. "A Muggleborn, and the three children of three of those names on my father's Will."

"Technically Susan is Amelia's niece," Holly said.

"Semantics," Harry said, waving a dismissive hand; Holly was surprised he knew what that meant, "Either way, it would be nice to have more friends. Do you think the head of the DMLE knows this Croaker bloke?"

"Probably," Holly said.

"Okay, we're going to be meeting Madam Bones sometime in the next few days to tell her about my godfather," Harry said, "We could ask her, and then if things work well, I can hear the Prophecy for myself. Okay, so it seems this Prophecy is where it all started. Albus Dumbledore heard it and started playing this evil chess-match which culminated in my parents' deaths, my godfather's imprisonment, and me ending up at the Dursleys."

"Correct," Holly said.

"Death said that Dumbledore illegally left me at the Dursleys," Harry said, "Because he wanted me weak, alone and friendless. I can picture that. If I was alone until September 1st, I would have looked for the first person who was nice to me and became their friend. Sort of like you did."

"Except I really want to be your friend," Holly said, smiling. "Unlike someone like this youngest son of Molly Weasley who will apparently want to be your friend to spy on you and get paid for it."

"Won't happen," Harry said, "We're already working against that. Imagine this, Holly. By the time September 1st comes, I will be taller, stronger, smarter and more powerful in magic. And I'll have at least one cool friend."

Holly smiled. "Dumbledore won't know what hit him. Oh, speaking of that. Can you ask your ring questions, and will it answer if you do?"

"Haven't tried," Harry said, "Let's see... it talks to me in my mind, so I will think of a question. What question?"

"Potter Manor needs to be Unplottable until you can get a Secret Keeper," Holly said. "Dumbledore will apparently be on the prowl later today. Apparently he had monitors on you, and they are now destroyed thanks to your Emancipation. So he'll be looking for you."

Harry nodded and looked at his Potter Family Ring. A moment later he looked back at Holly.

"I'll be right back," he said.

Then he left the dining room. Holly resumed eating her breakfast while she waited for Harry. A few minutes later he returned.

"That was easy," he said, as he sat down, and pulled his breakfast plate back toward him, "I just requested through the Wardstone that Potter Manor be Unplottable. It isn't as strong or secure as a Fidelius Charm, but it will work for now."

"Brilliant," Holly said.

"Alright," Harry said, "What should we do right now? Or rather, after breakfast?"

"You need to exercise and practice some magic," Holly said, "To help you with your magical core. I am going to research Legilimency and Occlumency. Apparently Dumbledore can read our minds. We can't have that. But I think I have a solution. Also, I need a favor from you."

"Name it," Harry said.

"I am going to write out some letters to Augusta and Neville Longbottom, the Lovegoods and the Bones," Holly said, "Now, we might not need to send the one to the Bones, because Ragnok will be contacting Madam Bones soon. But we'll have it just in case. I would suggest your father's old friend Remus Lupin too, but maybe not bring him around until we can free Sirius. However, it needs to come from you, because it is you, the Potter Heir, that they will want to reunite with. So I will write the letters, then you copy them in your handwriting. The letters will just be an initial greetings. We'll work on inviting them over here for a nice discussion soon enough. Also, we don't know if they are friendly with Dumbledore and/or the Weasleys. We have to make sure they don't tell either families about the letters."

"How?" Harry asked.

"Well, we can't trust them to do so through a simple letter," Holly said, "So I'll have to do some research and figure out a good charm to prevent them from telling anyone about the letters."

"Sounds good," Harry said, "It won't... hurt them... will it?"

"Nah," Holly said, "Just prevent them from talking about it to anyone but those we trust. Basically it will make their tongues stick to the roof of their mouths."

"Wicked!" Harry said.

"Yep," Holly said, "Speaking of letters, what did you name your owl?"

"Hedwig," Harry said, "I found an etymology book in the Potter Manor library. Hedwig was the patron saint of orphans."

"Well, how about that?" Holly said, "I named mine Gianna, after the patron saint of mothers. She... er... sacrificed herself for her child."

"Fitting," Harry said.

Silence descended amongst the table as they resumed their breakfast. Holly knew the discussion wasn't completely over. She knew Harry must have more to talk about. But she would wait until he was ready. She was just happy that he still wanted her as a friend.

* * *

 _Meanwhile at Hogwarts..._

Albus Dumbledore rapped his knuckles on the door of Rubeus Hagrid's hut. A few moments later, the door opened and Hagrid stood there.

"Good morning, Headmaster!" Hagrid said, cheerfully, "Didn't expect to see ya this early. Would you care for a spot o' breakfast, sir?"

"I just had a wonderful meal brought on by our house-elves, Hagrid," Dumbledore said, "But I do need to ask you a few questions."

"Oh, well, come on in!" Hagrid said.

Dumbledore smiled, looking more cheerful than he was, and stepped into the hut.

"I can't be long I'm afraid," he said, "I have a few errands to run, so I will make this quick. First off, I want to apologize for my behavior in my office yesterday evening. I may have seemed a touch angry at one point. It was wrong of me to direct such anger at you."

"Apology accepted, Headmaster," Hagrid said.

Dumbledore smiled. Hopefully that was enough buttering up to the man-child, so he could get more information out of him.

"I was wondering," he said, "if you remembered any more about your visit with Harry Potter yesterday?"

Hagrid frowned and squinted his eyes, looking thoughtful for a moment. "No, sir. Cannot say I do. Sorry."

"Unfortunate," Dumbledore said, "Well, if you do remember, you know where to usually find me."

"Yes, sir," Hagrid said. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you, sir?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Actually there is, sir. That Cerberus you bought off of that Irish gentleman. Where is he at the moment?"

"Oh you mean Fluffy!" Hagrid said, with a large grin, "He's in the Forest, has a little home a few yards in."

"Good to know," Dumbledore said, "I may have a new home for him in the castle before too long. Do give him the good news for me, will you?"

If Hagrid thought any of this odd, he did not show it. "Yes, sir! He'll be quite pleased! I think one of his heads is rather afraid of the forest."

"That's a good lad," Dumbledore said, "I will see you later. I must be going."

Hagrid bid him goodbye, and Dumbledore left the hut. He then Apparated on the spot – being the Headmaster had its many privileges after all and this was one - his destination: Little Whinging in Surrey.

* * *

While Dumbledore was arriving at Privet Drive, Bill Weasley was currently sitting in a small room in the Gringotts Bank in London. He had arrived at the bank ten minutes prior and was immediately met up by an assistant of Keeper Ragnok the Sixth. The Goblin had escorted him into this room and told him to wait.

Suddenly, the door opened and a Goblin walked in. Bill immediately stood in respect.

"Ah, Curse Breaker William Weasley," the Goblin said, "I am Keeper Ragnok the Sixth, Heir to the Royal Goblin throne. It was I who summoned you here."

"Greetings Ragnok," Bill said, "May fortune favor you and give you a long life. My closest friends and most of my family tend to call me Bill."

"Bill," Ragnok said; he sat across the table from Bill, who immediately sat down after, "May honor and honesty serve you well today."

Bill bowed respectfully, all whilst trying not to look surprised at this. This greeting only usually came when the Goblins demanded such honesty. Whatever was about to happen was rather serious.

"Tell me, Curse Breaker Weasley," Ragnok said, "How loyal are you to the Goblin Nation?"

Bill raised his eyebrows. "I believe I am highly loyal, sir. I hope I can prove such loyalty today."

"I hope so too," Ragnok said; he snapped his fingers and a cream-colored folder appeared in front of Bill. "Please read through the contents of that folder."

Bill opened the folder and proceeded to read through the information shown. This time he couldn't hold the surprise nor shock that was emanating from his face.

"Did you know, Curse Breaker Weasley?" Ragnok asked, "About any of this?"

"I swear upon my honor as a staff member of Gringotts and as a wizard that I did not," Bill said, "I admitted there were some possible suspicions, or weird feelings at one point or another. I-I mean... I was a student fresh into Hogwarts when the events of Halloween of 1981 took place. About a week later – I received a letter from my parents. In it was their reactions to what had taken place on Halloween. Also, to my surprise, my Mother told me that an Aunt on her side of the family had died and had left her an inheritance. I remember being quite happy. They had barely been able to afford my tuition at Hogwarts, and I was thrilled that the rest of my family wouldn't have to worry about such things."

Bill sighed and pushed the folder away. "Now I see where that money came from. A bride price in a Betrothal Contract? My mother made a Betrothal Contract for my sister, who would be four months old later that month? My sister doesn't know about this! I don't think the rest of my siblings do either. Hell, I'm not sure my father knows about this! G50,000 paid for by the Potter family? Isn't Harry Potter the last member of the Potters? I thought he was living with Muggles since that Halloween night."

"He was," Ragnok said, "Albus Dumbledore signed Harry's part of the contract. However, Bill, there is something you need to understand. Albus Dumbledore is not Harry Potter's magical guardian."

"But," Bill said, "I thought if magical children didn't have a magical guardian, then one was appointed to them – unless..."

"Unless one was appointed to them in their parents' Wills," Ragnok said. "As to that subject, we will speak no more of it."

Bill nodded, though his mind wandered. He could easily figure it out. The Potters' Wills had been recently opened... by whom? Harry Potter himself?

"Curse Breaker Weasley," Ragnok said, with a warning tone, "Whatever may be going through your head, I would secure it away tightly. Such information is to remain secret for now. Especially from skilled Legilimens. If word gets out to the wrong people, your job will be terminated and you may be held on criminal charges."

Bill nodded. He knew Dumbledore was a Legilimens. Apparently Ragnok didn't want the man to know about this yet. "What do you want me to do, Keeper Ragnok? Obviously I was brought here for something."

"Originally, you were brought here to be questioned about knowledge of the contents in that folder," Ragnok said, "Obviously you didn't know anything about it. Now, you are to make a decision. Where does your loyalty and honor lie? With Gringotts or with your mother?"

Bill raised his eyebrows. What a question to ask! Couldn't he say both? Then he had an epiphany.

"Oh Merlin," he groaned, "Oh, no. Mum. That Betrothal Contract. It was void and unofficial from the very beginning. Dumbledore isn't Potter's magical guardian. Which means – _oh, no..."_

"Which means," Ragnok said, "your mother stole G50,000 from Harry Potter. Most of that money is currently in your mother's private vault she's had since before her first year at Hogwarts. That money will be able to be reclaimed easily. However, much of the money has been spent. It was spent on your siblings' tuitions and other personal things whenever your mother felt she needed some extra money So, I ask again. Where does your loyalty and honor lie?"

"Until the truth is discovered," Bill said, "With my family. I will accept any punishment you hand me."

"Your honesty is welcomed, Curse Breaker Weasley," Ragnok said. "The truth is easily obtained. You have one mission at the moment, Bill, then you will be suspended until the investigation is finished. You are to go to your mother and inform her that she is to meet me for an appointment here on Saturday at 10:00 in the morning. Under no circumstances are you to inform her of anything that has been revealed. To do so would take away the element of surprise and give her time to make a thought-out defense. All you will tell her is that we request her presence. Better yet, tell her she and your father have been invited to a Will Reading on Saturday and that she could possibly obtain some money."

Bill could see how Ragnok's mind worked. This was a test of his true loyalty. If he told his mother this information instead of the truth, she would be distracted with the thought of gaining some money. Then she wouldn't be prepared for what she would actually find out. If he told her the truth, he would lose his job and possibly face punishment from the Goblin Nation. Such was the risk when taking a job for with the bank. Bill could only nod his head.

"It will be done, Keeper Ragnok," he said.

"Excellent," Ragnok said, "You are dismissed."

Bill walked out of the room so fast, he forgot to give a respectful goodbye. He was too distracted by the revelations he had just witnessed. His mother had stolen money from the Boy-Who-Lived, the hero that vanquished You-Know-Who! Even if there was a possible chance she had somehow been tricked, the repercussions this would have on the family if word of this got out! Bill shuddered. He didn't want to think about it.

He walked out of Gringotts with his head held high, and started off toward the Leaky Cauldron. He needed a stiff drink. He was about to go home for the first time in many months, and on top of that, he was about to lie to his mother. He had lied to his mother before, but this... he wasn't sure his mother would ever forgive him for this.

Yes, a stiff drink or three sounded good right about now.

* * *

Bill Weasley wasn't the only one who had plans on going to the Burrow that morning. Albus Dumbledore appeared outside the ward line of the Burrow, then started off down the driveway.

He had just come from Privet Drive and had received some bad news. Harry Potter was not there, nor had he been seen by the Dursleys since Hagrid had retrieved him from the shack. On top of that, the blood wards had completely vanished. He had questioned the Dursleys about Harry, only after applying an Imperius Curse on Vernon Dursley to tell him where Harry was.

Even under the Imperius Curse, Vernon spouted angry words to Dumbledore, telling him how a monster of a man had barged into the island home they were holidaying at and attacked his son, and kidnapped the boy! Apparently Hagrid had also taken the boat that the Dursleys and Harry had used to get to the island. Vernon was raging mad about how he had to flag down a police boat, and was lucky enough to have found a flair to alert said boat, all because that monster had stolen his boat!

Dumbledore was in a quandary. Harry Potter was no longer with his relatives. The Blood wards wouldn't have come down that quickly, not unless Harry had either chosen not to live there anymore, or was no longer "legally obligated" to live there. This only added fuel to his theory that Harry Potter had somehow learned a lot of information during his visit to Gringotts the day before. Emancipation would cause the blood wards to fall. But that would not cause all those monitors of his to fall.

So... Dumbledore could now only think of two options. Harry was either now an Emancipated Lord – meaning he had discovered his parents' Wills – or he was dead. Dumbledore was sad to think that he didn't know which was the more depressing option.

If Harry was still alive, and found out he was an Emancipated Lord, then it was also possible he had met Ragnok, the Keeper of the Potter Vault and financial records. It was also possible that the old Betrothal Contract was found. If the Will was opened, then they would discover Dumbledore wasn't Harry Potter's magical guardian. And if that was discovered then...

Dumbledore shook his head, clearing his mind. He couldn't speculate yet. There was a reason he was at the Burrow right now. If the Betrothal Contract had been found, then Molly Weasley would receive a letter, due to the Automatic Reply Notices the Goblins used. He needed to know if Molly received any word from Gringotts.

So he strode to the front door of the oddly-shaped house known as the Burrow. Inside could hear Molly Weasley screaming.

"Fred! George! Get dressed! Running around in your underwear, for Merlin's sake! Percy, be a dear and wake up Ginny and Ron for breakfast! I am too busy to do it myself. And make sure your father found the freshly laundered bath-towels as well? Thank you."

Albus chuckled heartily and rapped his knuckles on the front door. It opened a moment later, and Molly Weasley stood there, with a package of bacon in one hand and her wand in the other.

"Albus!" Molly said, chuckling, "Why, this is a surprise! Come in! You'll have to excuse the ruckus. Early mornings around here, always hectic!"

"Never a dull moment at the Burrow," Dumbledore agreed, as he walked into the house.

"Are you here on Hogwarts business?" Molly said, "The Hogwarts letters came early this year, but you probably know that already! I already did the school shopping for the kids just yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Dumbledore asked, "You didn't happen to see Harry Potter there, did you?"

"Harry Potter?" Molly asked, "No, Albus, I did not. Was he there?"

"Hagrid escorted him there to do some school shopping for his eleventh birthday," Dumbledore said. "But he appeared to have misplaced the boy early on."

"Misplaced?" Molly asked, "I do hope the boy is okay?"

"I'm sure he is," Dumbledore said, with a smile. "The reason I am here is curiosity. Have you received any notices from Gringotts? Either today or yesterday?"

Molly raised her eyebrows. Then she frowned and shook her head. "No. Why? Should I have?"

"No, it is probably nothing," Dumbledore said. "There was an incident at the bank last night concerning our friend Griphook. I know he is your Vault Keeper."

"Oh, well I hope everything is alright!" Molly said.

"Again, I am sure everything is fine," Dumbledore said, "As you know, Griphook is an acquaintance of mine, and I thought he might give me a letter to inform me if he is alright. He hasn't yet. I was just worried. That is all I wanted to ask. I was out and about so I thought I'd stop by instead of give you a call on the Floo. I'd best be going now. I'm a busy man. I will let you tend to your flock."

"It is good to see you, Albus," Molly said, "Give me a call on the Floo if you hear anything about Griphook, or even about dear Harry. I'm very much hoping my youngest, Ron, will be friends with Harry at Hogwarts come September."

"I think I could give a good word in here or there and encourage such things," Dumbledore said, "Have a good day, Molly."

Molly waved goodbye to Dumbledore, and he left the house, then walked back up the driveway with a much lighter step. If Molly hadn't received a notice from Gringotts yet, then perhaps the Betrothal Contract information hadn't been discovered yet.

Dumbledore smiled to himself. Perhaps he was entirely wrong about all of this. Maybe Harry had indeed found a friend, and was staying at their house for the night. The Blood Ward's disappearance was mysterious. However, as soon as Harry returned to the house on Privet Drive, Dumbledore would put the wards back up, along with a few others.

Finding Harry would be easy. He would contact a few old minions – err –- friends from the Order of the Phoenix and they would jump at the chance to search for the Boy-Who-Lived. Yes, he was certain that Harry would be back in his cupboard by the weekend. He made is way to the beginning of the driveway, then apparated: destination: the home of his trusted friend, Alastor Moody. The paranoid, retired Auror was very good at tracking certain individuals down.

* * *

Molly Weasley stared out the window at the spot Dumbledore had apparated from. She certainly hadn't expected him to show up! She was quite embarrassed that she showed up announced. What if he had seen the twins in their underwear!

The idea that Harry Potter had quite possibly been at Diagon Alley the same time she was, was a weird thought. After all, the boy was going to be her future son-in-law. The Betrothal Contract made when Ginny was still sucking on breast-milk solidified that outcome. The future bride-to-be in question entered the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"I was already awake, Mum," Ginny said, "I was reading the newest Harry Potter Book you bought for me. Thank you for the early birthday present! I made a birthday card for him yesterday, did I tell you? I wish I could send it to him."

"You'll be able to send one next year, dear," Molly said, as she served her daughter a plate of breakfast. "Ron will most likely be Harry's friend come September, and maybe even his best friend if he plays his cards right."

"Maybe he will ask Harry to write letters to me!" Ginny said, "I'm sure he could use a pen-pal!"

Molly smiled and patted Ginny on the shoulder. She was quite proud to encourage this behavior from her daughter. She had been doing so since Ginny was quite small after all. Those Harry Potter books were an excellent way for Ginny to get to know her future husband. Molly was always proud to buy the newest sequel in the Harry Potter series when it came out. Ginny had every single one of the books.

Suddenly, Molly heard a whooshing sound from the sitting room that indicated the Floo was being used. Molly walked into the sitting room and was happily surprised to see her eldest son, Bill, standing there.

"William!" she cooed, chuckling happily, as she hurried over to him and hugged him, "What a surprise! What are you doing home?"

Ginny squealed happily, as she raced past Molly – who had just backed out of her hug - and hugged her eldest and favorite brother.

"Hey, little Spitfire, you've grown a lot since I saw you last!" Bill said.

"Ginny, go find your brothers," Molly said, "Tell them Bill is home. And tell your Dad."

"I'm here," Arthur said, "Bill, glad to see you, son! What are you doing here?"

"Actually," Bill said, as Ginny hurried up the stairs, "I'm here on bank business, delivering a message. Then I have the perk of having a few days off, at least till Saturday."

"A message?" Molly asked, "What about?"

Molly's was reminded of her earlier discussion with Dumbledore. Was she about to hear the message Dumbledore was referencing?

"The two of you have been invited to a Will Reading on Saturday at ten-o-clock that morning," Bill said; he sighed, then cleared his throat. "Don't know who it is for, but I was told there may be a bit of Gold in it for you. An inheritance of some sort."

"Interesting," Arthur said, "Perhaps one of my many relatives passed away and I did not know it. Thank you for the message, son."

"Care for a spot of breakfast?" Molly said, "You look peaky! Do they feed you in Egypt? And that hair of yours! Needs a trim!"

"My hair is fine, Mum," Bill said, "My co-workers like it. But breakfast sounds good."

"Well, come on then!" Molly said.

Soon, most of the Weasleys in attendance were in the kitchen, greeting Bill, welcoming him home and asking him about Egypt. Ron was the only one who hadn't appeared yet.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Molly yelled, "WAKE UP AND GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!"

"I'm here, Mum," Ron said, a moment later as he walked into the kitchen, "I'm awake. What's for breakfast?"

Ron immediately sat down and grabbed the plate being offered to him. He was too busy stuffing his face, that he was already halfway through his first plate of food before he saw his eldest brother. His greeting to Bill was barely audible due to the quantity of egg in his mouth.

Molly was too distracted happily wondering about how much money they would get on Saturday, that she didn't even reprimand Ron for talking with his mouth full.


	4. Another School Acepttance Letter?

**NOTE: This is where the plot starts to deviate from Vance McGills.**

The Royale Phoenix Academy of Magic

Dear, Mr Potter,

You have been accepted into the Royale Phoenix Academy of Magic.

Term starts August 20th and Finishes May 20th.

Please read the information booklet provided and then decide whether to accept or not. Professor Amelia Bones will hold a questions session at Bones mansion tomorrow. Portkey is this letter.

Yours

Minerva Bellatrix Peverell

Minerva Bellatrix Peverell

Head Mistress

 **Information Booklet**

 **Founding Headmistress:** Amelia Jean Peverell

 **Current Headmistress:** Minerva Bellatrix Peverell

 **Founded:** 22nd of May 1603

 **Location:** Tasmania (the entire state.)

 **Wards:** Unplottable, Fidelius, Damage Proof, Fire Proof, Natural Disaster Proof, Time Slower, Muggle Repelling.

 **Nearby Towns:** Hobart, Launceston, Devonport.

 **Years of Compulsory Education:** 14 (this includes up to 28 Masteries.)

 **Total Years of Education:** 14 (Academy is under a time slower so to the outside world it is only 7 years.)

 **Subjects:** Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Herbology, Household Charms, Cooking, Dark Arts and its Defences, English, Languages, History of Magic, History, Geography, Maths, COMC, Politics and Law, Economy and Business, Digital Technologies, Physical Education, Fashion, Writing, Rituals, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Amimagus, Metamorhpagus, Warding, Building, Furniture Design, Battle Magic, Blood Magic, Alchemy, Death Magic, Soul Magic, Elemental Magic, Forging, Music, Flying, Healing, Mind Magic, Magical Theory, Enchanting, Astronomy, Adventure and Living Wild, Spell Creation and Combat.

 **About the Academy:** Phoenix Academy is a huge majestic Palace made of white marble. There are 70 wings.

 **The houses are:** Shadow Phoenix, Fire Phoenix, Earth Phoenix, Water Phoenix, Ice Phoenix, Golden Phoenix, Silver Phoenix, Bronze Phoenix, Platinum Phoenix and Queen Phoenix.

 **Accommodation:** Each house has a floor of the Academy. The Boys are on the right side of the palace and the girls on the left. On the side overlooking the lake is the house common room. In all the wings, there is a library (all the libraries link to the main one and have copies of the books in the main one, a common room (only for that gender), a Owlery (All owls MUST be live in the Owlery. Some school owls will be available for your use if you do not have your own owl.) and a study room (all the desks are silenced and hidden so you can study and not get distracted over the person beside you is doing.) Each person gets a Bedroom, Kitchen and Dining room, Bathroom, Vault (linked to your Gringotts vault so you can withdraw money at school.) And 2 rooms that you can do whatever you want is. (Please feel free to change the colour, size or style however you want. Please feel free to put up posters and make it feel more like you are at home.) Also, you must tidy your room weekly and assist in cleaning shared areas fortnightly. The school asks that if you have a house elf you leave it at home.

 **Rules:**

I. No swearing or foul language.

II. No Bullying.

III. No Stealing.

IV. Must maintain good grades.

V. No Inappropriate behaviour.

VI. Be to class on time.

VII. Be on your floor 10 minutes before curfew.

VIII. Positions of authority will be taken back if you fail any class.

IX. Personal electronic devices are permitted.

X. You must do chores to maintain your apartment.

 **Punishments:**

First Offence- 3 days' detention and personal curfew is 1 hour early.

Second Offence- 6 days' detention and no desert for a month.

Third Offence- 1 month detention, no trips into town and letter home.

Fourth Offence- 2 month in-school suspension, personal curfew 2 hours early, 4 months of detention, letter home and permant mark on record.

Fifth Offence- Expulsion and memory wiped of where academy is.

 **Curfew:**

Monday–Thursday; 9:00 (Lights out is 9:30.)

Friday-Saturday; 10:00 (Lights out is 10;30)

Sunday; 8:30 (Lights out 9:30)

Holidays- 10:30 (Lights out is 11:00)

 **Students:** We at Phoenix Academy believe that **all** witches and wizards, whether creature or not has the right to a magical education. Therefore, if you insult **any** student whether creature or muggleborn or half-blood or pureblood then it will result in serious punishment or expulsion.

 **Banned Language:**

· Any swear words

· Mudblood, Muggleborn, Half-Blood, Half-Breed

 **Cost:**

Tuition- 10,000 Galleons a year

 **Supplies:**

 ** _General_**

vTrunk- 27 compartments, student choice of wood crest and design. Must have a library, potions, clothes, cupboard and pets compartment. Must have blood security, feather-light and shrinkable. [Tim's Trunks]

vCauldrons- 3, silver, size 2. Must be shrinkable, feather-light and wear-proof. [Angela's Apothecary]

vWhite-boards- 2, shrinkable and voice writer and voice eraser. [Oli's Office]

vPin-board-2, shrinkable and un-stickable. [Oli's Office]

vStapler-2, everlasting. [Oli's Office]

vBlu-Tack- 3, everlasting. [Oli's Office]

vProtractor-2, unbreakable. [Oli's Office]

vRuler-2, unbreakable. [Oli's Office]

vCalculator- 2, unbreakable. [Oli's Office]

vGlue-stick-2. [Oli's Office]

vBoxes of 128-page exercise books- 10, shrinkable.

[Oli's Office]

vHB pencils- 2 tubs, ever-refilling. [Oli's Office]

vRed pens- 2 tubs, ever-refilling. [Oli's Office]

vBlack pens-2 tubs, ever-refilling. [Oli's Office]

vBlue pens- 2 tubs, ever-refilling. [Oli's Office]

vRubbers- 2 tubs, ever-refilling. [Oli's Office]

vWands-3, custom-made. The first is your main wand, second is your backup and third is duelling. [Wallace's Wands]

vWand care kits-3. [Wallace's Wands]

vWand holster-3[Wallace's Wands]

vBackpack-1, unbreakable, space extension, feather-light. [Becca's Bags]

vUniform:

vAll Uniform has school crest until you are sorted. Crests are in house colours; school crest is in pale yellow. [Penny's Phoenix Uniforms]

v ** _Girls:_**

vBlouse (white with teal trimmings, white with emerald trimmings.)

vSkirt (emerald knee-length, teal knee-length)

vDress (emerald knee-length, teal knee-length)

vRobes (forest green, navy blue)

vCloak (emerald with teal hood, teal with emerald hood)

vCardigan (emerald, teal)

vTunic (forest green, navy blue)

vSocks (white)

vShoes (black)

vB ** _oys:_**

vShirt (emerald, teal)

vPants (emerald, teal)

vRobes (forest green, navy blue)

vCloak (emerald with teal hood, teal with emerald hood)

vJacket (emerald, teal)

vTunic (forest green, navy blue)

vSocks (white)

vShoes (black)

 ** _Subject Requirements:_**

Transfiguration:

The Theory of Transfiguration 1-7

Transfiguration 1-7

Charms:

The Theory of Charms 1-7

Charms 1-7

Potions:

The Theory of Potions 1-7

How to Prepare Potions Ingredients 1-7

Potions Recipes 1-7

Silver Knife

Vials

Potions 1 Ingredients Kit

Herbology:

1001 Herbs, Plants and Fungi 1-7

Dragon Hide Gloves

Shovel

Trowel

Household Charms:

The Complete Encyclopedia of Household Charms 1-7

Cooking:

The Magical Cookbooke 1-7

Dark Arts and its Defences:

Basic Defence Spells and Shields 1

English:

Spelling and Grammar

Languages:

French 1-7

Latin 1-7

Gobbledygook 1-7

Mermish 1-7

Dwaven 1-7

Spanish 1-7

Italian 1-7

Indian 1-7

History of Magic:

Goblin History 1-7

Magicals History 1-7

Elven History 1-7

Werewolf History 1-7

Dwaves History 1-7

History:

The World History 1-7

English History 1-9

Irish History 1-9

Scottish History 1-9

Australian History 1-10

Geography:

Geography Of The World 1-10

What is Geography? 1-7

Maths:

Maths Texts 1-20

Care of Magical Animals:

Phoenix

Hippogriff

Gryphin

Shadow Panther

Centaurs

Spiders

Basilisks

Unicorn

Dragons 1-23

Politics and Law:

Wizengamot Rules and Regulations 1-5

Laws and Bills 1-3

Laws passed in the past 100 years 1-11

Familieus Magickius – What family magic can do 1-38

House Status 1-15

Titles and Awards 1-2

Economy and Business:

How to invest- 1-4

How Much is money worth 1-5

How to run a business 1-7

Digital Technologies:

iPad Nox 2

iPhone Nox 7

Lenovo Farie Plus 4

Digital Technologies and Magic.

Physical Education:

Workouts and Stretches

Fashion:

Fabrics 1-6

Clothes cuts and styles

Writing:

Essays 1-5

Writing Tips and Guides 1-3

Rituals:

Ancient Rituals and Risks 1-3

Ancient Runes:

A Guide To Runes

Arithmancy:

Arithmancy a Guide

Animagi and Metamorphagi:

Animagus Transformation 1-3

The Ultimate Book Of Animals

Metamorphagi Tips

How to morph your features 1- 10

Warding:

Wards

How to Cast them

How to Break them

Building:

Magical Building Styles

Materials to build with

Furniture Design:

Furniture 1-6

Battle Magic:

Battle Magic 1

Blood Magic:

Blood Magic 1

Alchemy:

Alchemy 1- 40

Soul Magic:

Souls and their magic

Death Magic:

Everything about Death 1-3

Elemental Magic:

The Elements and their Magic

Forging:

Forging- The Magic of it

Music:

Standard of Excellence

Flying:

Nimbus 200

Basic Healing:

Basic Healing Tips and Advice

Healing:

The Healers Helpmate

Mind Magic:

Occlumency and Legilimency

Magical Theory:

Magical Theory- A Secret

Enchanting:

Enchanting- For Dummies

Astronomy:

The Night Sky

Adventure and Living Wild:

Living Bush

Spell Creation:

Theory of Spell Creation

Combat:

How to Duel.

Financial Help

If you need help in paying for your supplies/tuition please tell us in your acceptance letter.

Already Bought Hogwarts Equipment?

Easy, just take all of it (including the trunk) and present your receipts and we will pay for your supplies up to that amount.


	5. Chapter 5

Dear My Loyal Readers,

I hate to say this but I am temporarily putting this story on hold, as schoolwork is SATAN!

I am not abandoning this story. I hope that while it is on hold I can write some more slowly so that you have chapters.

If you are looking for some fanfic to read then keep an eye on my profile page for recommendations.

Hermione Evelyn Potter


End file.
